[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1 link=same] [bsa_pro_ad_space id=2]

Skip to Content

Operator News

Japan – Mohegan Gaming evaluating Japanese options after Hokkaido exit

By - 9 December 2019

Having recently opened an office in in the city of Tomakomai in the Hokkaido prefecture, Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment has been hit more than most following Governor Naomichi Suzuki decision to pull Hokkaido from the race for a Japanese IR.

In a statement, Mohegan CEO Mario Kontomerkos said: “We are evaluating our options regarding Hokkaido. Although the outcome is not what we had hoped for, we understand the position of Governor Suzuki and respect his judgment regarding IR development in Hokkaido. We are especially grateful for the warm hospitality shown to us by the people of Hokkaido, our partners and our friends. We will continue to elevate the global integrated resort concept in Northern Asia via our Inspire development in South Korea, and we remain committed to the broader region.”

Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s main islands, has ditched its bid for an integrated resort (IR) with Governor Naomichi Suzuki citing environmental concerns with an environmental assessment likely to take up to three years.

Governor Suzuki said: “As a result of careful consideration, I had reached the conclusion that I would like to give an IR bid a shot, however the candidate site is likely to be a habitat of rare animals and plants, and the appropriate environmental considerations would be impossible in the restricted schedule.”

As well as Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, Rush Street Japan and Hard Rock International had also set up offices in Hokkaido.

Japanese tourism company Kamori Kanko, once the biggest operator of ski resorts in the US, had also confirmed it wants to bring a casino to its ambitious vision for a regional integrated resort in Hokkaido’s Rusutsu Village, located in the Shiribeshi sub-prefecture in Hokkaido.

Share via
Copy link