Poker Writer
Hakodate, a city in Hokkaido, Japan, is stepping back from its ambitions to host a casino resort after the mayor confirmed the city is not ready to pursue the project. Jun Oizumi, the mayor, said the northern Japanese city on the island of Hokkaido is “nowhere near” ready to put itself in contention for hosting an integrated casino resort.
Little public discussion about the resort within the city council is one reason for the trepidation. Citizens have not had the chance to voice concerns.
The mayor said that the city prefers the cautious approach for now rather than rushing into a big commitment. Hakodate can only move forward if there are clear long-term economic benefits for the region.
Hakodate sits at the southernmost point of the island and has a population of more than 250,000. It is the third-most populous city in Japan’s northern island.
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Will Another City in Hokkaido Step Up?
The chances of a casino resort on Hokkaido have dropped with Hakodate bowing out of its pursuing one. But the island could still get a casino resort.
Hokkaido has long debated pursuing an integrated resort. The prefecture surveyed all municipalities in Hokkaido to see which ones would be interested in hosting a resort. Of the 179 municipalities, only Hakodate and Tomakomai expressed interest.
With Hakodate seemingly losing interest for now, that leaves only Tomakomai as the option for a prospective casino. The majority of municipalities expressed no interest in building and hosting a casino.
The island’s largest city, Sapporo, as well as the city of Kushiro have also expressed fleeting interest in the past but have no official timelines to pursue a casino as of right now.
MGM Osaka Coming in 2030
The Hokkaido casino would be the second in Japan. The first casino resort in the country, MGM Osaka, is already slated to open in the nation’s second-largest city. That integrated resort is expected to open by 2030.
Not much is known about the upcoming resort other than it plans to be a world-class destination for international visitors and local guests alike. Cost estimates have exceeded an eye-watering $10 billion.
MGM has already built a profitable retail casino business in Asia with its two Macau properties, MGM Cotai and MGM Macau. The international casino giant hopes to extend that success to Japan, where it will begin with a monopoly. Competitors could emerge, however, if the other two integrated resort licenses are claimed. The government authorized up to three resorts, but only MGM Osaka gained approval in the initial bidding round.
