Inside Asian Gaming

IAG JAPAN JUL 2020 42 Nagasaki is planning to develop its IR at Dutch-inspired theme park Huis Ten Bosch. 長崎はオランダの街並みを再現したハウステンボスでのIR開発を計画している I magine a couple bound by deeply interwoven fabric. That’s the relationship Casinos Austria says it shares with Nagasaki. Founded in Austria in 1934, the company – which cites operations in 35 countries – has long had its eyes on expansion into Asia, and that ambition hasn’t altered despite the complexities presented by the COVID-19 challenge. “Although COVID-19 has influenced us, we have been working on cutting-edge developments, including online projects,” explains the President of Casinos Austria’s Japanese arm, Akio Hayashi. “Just because it is state-owned does not mean that it is old-fashioned. In that sense, perhaps we suffered less damage than other operators. In addition to safety and security, stability is part of our management philosophy.” Casinos Austria first began looking at Japan 15 years ago and has always favored a regional location “We have a history of starting out in hospitality and then expanding to food and casinos. That’s why we haven’t even considered urban locations like Tokyo and Osaka,” Hayashi continues. “During that research, the history, culture and nature of Nagasaki, which was the only port open to the world during the isolation period, was the most appealing. It also has Huis Ten Bosch, and we became confident that we could turn Nagasaki into a gateway and keep [visitors] in Japan.” JAPAN