Japanese Minister Says Government Remain on Track with IR Timeline

Kazuyoshi Akaba, Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, has confirmed that the government is moving forward with the previously-mentioned timetable regarding the process for licensing casino complexes in the nation. Akaba was speaking at a question-and-answer session of the budget committee of Japan’s House of Representatives.

Under a draft plan previously announced by the Japanese national government, local governments would have from January to July in 2021 to apply for the right to host a casino resort, or integrated resort (IR) as large-scale tourism complexes with casinos are known in Japan. Up to three will be permitted in the first phase of liberalisation.

Akaba said that as of now the national government believed it was still feasible to maintain the original draft schedule for local governments to submit their bids for a tilt at hosting a casino scheme. That was despite the national government has declared the state of emergency in several of the country’s prefectures, as part of efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.