Japan may push back deadline for casino host-city bids by a year: Yomiuri

[TOKYO] Japan's government is considering pushing back by a year a July 2021 deadline for cities to submit bids to host casinos due to delays in preparation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Friday.

The government sees the so-called integrated resorts, which include casinos, shopping outlets and hotels, as a significant means of bolstering tourism, tax revenue and local economies as the country grapples with the impact of a shrinking population.

It has authorised licences for three resorts and had set a July-end deadline for bids and development plans from interested cities.

Those that have expressed an interest include Yokohama, Tokyo, Osaka - Japan's three largest cities - as well as smaller cities including Nagasaki and Wakayama.

The government's plans for the resorts have been hampered in the past by opposition from a public wary of gambling addiction and a bribery scandal that led to the arrest of a high-profile lawmaker.

In May, Las Vegas Sands Corp ended its plans for a resort in Japan.

REUTERS