Gambling in Nagasaki

What is happening with gambling in Osaka today

Exciting times lie ahead for Japan as the government gave the green light on Friday, 14 April 2023, for the much-anticipated opening of the nation’s inaugural casino resort in Osaka. This marks a monumental stride in Japan’s quest to embrace integrated resorts, setting the stage for a thrilling new era of entertainment.

Crafted by the collaborative efforts of the Osaka prefectural and city governments, the integrated resort, lovingly referred to as the IR, will stand tall on the captivating artificial island of Yumeshima in the picturesque Osaka Bay. Anticipated to debut between the enchanting fall and magical winter of 2029, it promises to be a sight to behold.

The centrepiece of this extravagant resort will be an awe-inspiring, grand hotel, ready to pamper guests with unparalleled luxury. Its splendid conference rooms will provide the perfect setting for high-profile events, fostering a culture of networking and knowledge exchange.

However, the true heart of this gaming resort lies in its thrilling gambling areas. Guests can enjoy many gaming options catering to all tastes and preferences. The choices are endless, from classic table casino games that exude sophistication and charm to state-of-the-art slot machines that buzz with excitement.

Related: Popular Asian-themed slots

How the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay project started

A law and a set of rules for the opening and operating of integrated casino resorts in Japan officially came into force on 19 July 2021.

The draft, drafted and drawn up by the Japanese regulator, sets out clear regulations for operating and supervising land-based gambling facilities in designated areas.
In summary, the law was previously submitted for public consultation that ended in the first decade of May 2021.

The new law includes the licensing process of gambling establishments, available control of operators and shareholders, customer data, and casino personnel. Casinos’ clear standards and scale are specified, and schemes for calculating GGR – gross gambling revenue for gambling operators.

Austrian casino operator to run casino in Nagasaki

Japan’s Nagasaki prefecture has selected Austrian operator Casinos Austria International to set up a casino resort. The company has been identified as the rights holder for priority negotiations. Austria International will be the first to begin discussions with the regional government on the terms and conditions for constructing the entertainment facility at Huis Ten Bosch Theme Park in Sasebo.

The new resort will be part of a Japanese gambling entertainment industry project that the government approved in July 2018. According to the authorities, the initiative aims to boost tourism through facilities representing a variety of commercial and cultural attractions.

Japanese law states that casino resorts can dedicate 3% of their space to gambling halls. However, locals must pay an entry fee of $53 to enter the property.
The Japanese government was chosen from three companies that reached the final round.

• Casino Austria International
• Niki Chyau Fwu Group
• Oshidori International Development

It is said that Nagasaki wants to invest about $4.19 billion in the project to build a resort complex with a casino that will also house an international conference centre and a hotel. All the work will take place on a 31-hectare site. The prefectural government estimates that the facility will attract between 6.9 and 9.3 million visitors to Kyushu Island annually.

The regions expected to be the first gambling zones in Japan were Tokyo, Yokohama, and Osaka. By the way, Japanese players can always register at Joycasino to play online. The first Japanese casinos were to be modelled after the Las Vegas casinos, and investors would include well-known American gambling companies MGM Resorts and Las Vegas Sands and Hong Kong-based Melco Crown Entertainment consortium. Las Vegas Sands subsequently declined to invest in building casinos in Japan.

The development of integrated resort areas in the Land of the Rising Sun is designed to increase government revenues by attracting local gambling fans and foreign tourists. Increasing the flow of tourists is one of the Japanese government’s priorities. The government is targeting to attract as many as 60 million foreigners annually by 2030. Currently, the annual tourist inflow is estimated at 30 mln people.

According to the government’s plan, creating resort areas with casinos will be important in achieving these goals. According to preliminary estimates, the Japanese gambling market can generate up to $25 billion annually.