Inside Asian Gaming

IAG JAPAN FEB 2019 46 JAPAN not have the time to wait for a slow curve ball. Although Osaka is looking to open an IR property the year before the World Expo in 2025, other local municipalities may need to expand their strike zone. If that’s the case, it won’t be long before overseas IR operators, aiming to infiltrate regions other than Osaka, kick it up a gear. We do know that concepts and plans from various operators are being presented to local municipalities and are at the stage where the foundation for forming a consortium with a local company is being laid. As per the timeline displayed in this article, as 2018 2019 2020 • Establish Casino Administration Commission • Draft/anouncement of basic policies by Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism • Draft/announcement of implementation policies by prefectures • IR Development Act established and announced • ＩＲ整備法成立・公布 • カジノ管理委員会設置 • 基本方針の策定・公表 (国土交通大臣) • 実施方針の策定・公表 (都道府県等) • ＩＲ事業者の公募・選定 ( 都道府県等) • 計画作成 • 認定申請 • 区域整備計画の認定申請 (都道府県等) • 区域整備計画の認定・公示 (国土交通大臣) • 実施協定の締結 (都道府県等) • カジノ免許申請 • 厳格な免許審査 • Public selection of IR Operators • IR plan creation by prefectures • Regional development plan certification application • Certification/disclosure of regional development plan by Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism • Signing of implementation agreements • Casino license applications • Strict license screening long as the preparations of IR operators and local governments are progressing, there is a possibility that once the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism releases his basic policy announcement in 2019 and the IR operators are chosen by prefectural governments in early 2020, everything else will move quickly afterwards. Once this milestone has been reached, all that is left will be to turn the innovative designs for Japan’s first IRs into a reality. Now is the opportunity to take back the time lost waiting for this legislation to arrive.