Public opinion is in Osaka, Japan ascending in favor of a casino complex integrated into the prefecture, according to a poll conducted over the weekend by local news outlet Mainichi Shimbun. The survey was conducted by the oldest newspaper in Japan over the weekend when the Osaka mayoral election was held as part of the country’s 20th unified municipal elections.
The plans see the construction of the Japan’s first casino as part of a large integrated resort (IR) in Yumeshima Island – a man-made landmass that is part of Konohana-ku, one of the 24 wards of Osaka, Japan.
According to the trusted source, 6,190 voters were polled as they exited 145 polling stations. A majority, 53% said they support the development of RIwhile 45% said they opposed it.
Osaka residents want an integrated resort and casino
Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura has been unabashed in his support for the development, and the issue was seen by many as a key element of his potential re-election, which he won easily with more support for a second term than when he was first elected governor. He took up the position in April 2019.
According to a report on website Inside Asia Gaming, only a third of those who voted to re-elect the governor opposed the development.
Hirofumi Yoshimura was supported by the Osaka Ishin no Kai (Japan Reform Association). He is the deputy leader of the Nippon Ishin no Kai. osaka (City) is the capital and most populous city of Osaka Prefecture and the third largest city in Japan with 2.7 million inhabitants.
Also supported by Osaka’s Ishin no Kai was political upstart Hideyuki Yosokawa, who was elected mayor of the city. However, his victory was stronger than that of the governor with a record 2.44 million votes, the most votes ever cast for an Osaka mayoral candidate. His lead in winning was about two million votes over his closest competitor.
The party also won 55 city council seats and retained its majority.
Governor Yoshimura also garnered the support of the prime minister’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Japanese Fumio Kishida. He had previously said he can resign as representative if the majority is not maintained.
Hard work for the next four years
Speaking to voters after the election, Yoshimura said: “I think we’ve had some level of public support to help make RI more attractive. I want to work hard for the next four years with a strong desire to make Osaka grow.”
The prefecture and the city submitted an application central government Early 2022. MGM Resorts and Japanese multinational ORIX Corporation, a Tokyo-based publicly owned international financial services company founded in 1964, are collaborating on this effort. ORIX is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange.
When Japanese lawmakers finally passed legislation signed by the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, many hoped that at least one IR would be approved and operational before the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics opened. It remained an entrenched religious and secular one political opposition to gambling and the struggle was taken to a local level where anti-casino voices, mixed with complicated political and cultural machinations, triumphed and drove most casino operators out of town.
Supposedly the current forecasts approved by the governorproject a IR opening 2029. The capital cost of completing the project has been estimated at up to $10 billion.
From a large field of deep pockets and top-tier global casino operators that initially competed for approval, many see MGM’s offer in Osaka as a last hope to build not just a world-class casino resort in Japan, but the country’s only casino.
were discussed different numbers long before Diet & Cabinet codified gambling liberalization in Japan. The latest forecasts indicate that the MGM/Orix consortium development could attract up to 20 million visitors each year and generate nearly US$4 billion (JPY520 billion) in revenue.
Spring: Exit poll shows majority support for Osaka IR as governor wins re-electionInside Asian Gaming, April 11, 2023
