The Nagasaki Assembly has given its approval for Casinos Austria International's (CAI) integrated resort proposal. CAI was selected as the preferred bidder by the Nagasaki government in September 2022, but the project required the Assembly's green light before it could proceed to the national government for final approval.
Out of the 45 votes cast by Assembly members, 42 supported the resort plans at the Huis Ten Bosch theme park, while three members, specifically Sakamoto Hiroshi, Tsutsumi Noriko, and Hori Kōhitomi, opposed the proposal.
Public concerns regarding CAI's financial capability had surfaced when the resort plan was first introduced. However, a detailed draft development plan was presented in March, outlining how CAI intended to finance, construct, and operate the resort.
Competition for the bid intensified when rival bidder Oshidori International withdrew from consideration, claiming that the request for proposal (RFP) process was not conducted in an ethical or fair manner, citing suspicions of ethical fraud.
The integrated resort will require a total investment of JPY483.3 billion, allocated for purchasing real estate and developing the resort. Of this amount, JPY175.3 billion is designated for investment, with CAI contributing 60%, non-Japanese investors funding 30%, and Japanese businesses responsible for the remaining 10%.
In a related development this week, a separate proposal for a resort in Wakayama was rejected. Currently, while Japan's central government may approve up to three locations for integrated resort development, only Nagasaki and Osaka have received approval so far.
