Japan approves plan to open first casino in Osaka to attract tourists controversial | Tourism
AP | | Posted by Zarafshan ShirazTokyo
JapanThe government on Friday approved a controversial plan to open the country’s first casino in the city of Osaka as it seeks to attract more foreigners. tourists.
The casino resort will include conference facilities, exhibition halls, a hotel and a theater and is expected to open in the fall of 2029, four years after Osaka hosts Expo. World.
“After the Osaka-Kansai Expo, it is expected to contribute to the local economy and economic growth of the whole of Japan, and become a tourist center to convey the charms of Japan. Ban,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a meeting of the government’s IR, or general resort, promotion panel.
The panel said the plan meets government requirements, including financial stability, contributing to the local economy and looking at anti-addiction measures. It was officially approved by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Tetsuo Saito.
The planned $1.8 trillion ($13.6 billion) project, filed last year, will be located on an artificial island and is expected to host 20 million visitors and 520 billion yen ($3.9 billion) in annual sales. The majority of revenue is expected to come from the casino.
The resort will be operated by Osaka IR KK, established by the Japanese subsidiary of US casino operator MGM Resorts International, financial services group Orix Corp. of Japan and some investors in the region.
Osaka is close to other attractions such as Universal Studios Japan and tourist attractions Kyoto. However, experts say the company’s business could shrink in the future in a country with a rapidly aging and declining population.
Previous attempts to build casinos have failed, often due to strong public opposition to gambling, although state-run horse racing and sailing betting is extremely popular. Business newspaper Nikkei said it recently surveyed Osaka residents and found that their opinion was divided, with 45% in favor of the casino plan and 38% against.
This story was published from the wire dealer’s feed without text modification. Only the title has been changed.
