MGM Resorts to boost Japan presence with larger Tokyo office

[TOKYO] MGM Resorts International will expand its presence in Tokyo in the next 30 days, its chief said on Wednesday, as the Las Vegas company steps up its efforts to enter what could become the world's second-largest casino market. "We are going to have a larger office here in Tokyo,"Chairman and Chief Executive Officer James Murren told reporters at an investor conference in Tokyo.

MGM has hired 15 new staff to work in Japan to focus on areas including market research and building connections with local companies, Murren said. Between eight and nine of the staff will be based in Tokyo.

International casino operators, including Las Vegas Sands and Melco Crown Entertainment, are also in the running for potentially lucrative operating rights in Japan, which legalised casino gambling in December.

REUTERS