Operator News
Japan – Wakayama happy to proceed with Partouche and Clairvest for IR bid
By Phil - 22 July 2021
French casino group Partouche will be put forward as the casino operator of choice in the Japanese prefecture of Wakayama with local politicians saying they are happy to proceed with the Clairvest Neem Ventures consortium which as partnered with the French operator, in the region’s bid to land one of three Integrated Resort casinos.
Clairvest will spend JPY470bn (US$4.3bn) on its ‘land of wood and water’ themed resort, much more than the JPY279.9bn (US$2.6bn) asked for by Wakayama in its initial launch. It will cover 569,000 square meters with the casino making up 38,000 square meters. It will also develop a 2,700 room hotel with exhibition and conference facilities.
The prefecture said: “Wakayama prefecture is proceeding with the recruitment and selection procedure for a private operator to implement an integrated resort at Wakayama Marina City. On June 2 2021 we selected a priority candidate and based on the IR Development Act Article 8, discussions were conducted with Wakayama City and Wakayama Prefectural Public Safety Commission. The priority candidate was selected based on these negotiations between the city and the prefectural public safety committee and then announced.”
“We will create an area development plan in conjunction with the priority candidate. Along with requesting further refinements to the proposals and enhancing the project implementation plan, we will seek to build an All-Wakayama Plan in which businesses in the prefecture can participate widely in enhancing the operation plan to ensure that there is contribution through development of the local economy and local employment,” it added. “Moreover, we will create an excellent Area Development Plan for an IR that will greatly contribute to the region’s development and make a contribution to the country’s tourism strategy for the application to be made to the central government by the deadline of 28 April 2022.”
Clairvest Neem Ventures also named AMSE Resorts Japan as a core member in the development saying it will ‘have the combined expertise of the two most experienced teams in the world, in IR development and management as well as the largest operator of games and hotel complexes in Europe.’
Jeff Parr of Clairvest Neem Ventures, said: “We share with our two partners a common vision of the national IR program in Japan and are convinced that this partnership will help strengthen the economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic, thanks to an increase in international customers as well as a significant influx. in Wakayama Prefecture and the Kansai region.”
AMSE is supported by William Weidner, former president and CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS), and his team at Global Gaming Asset Management LLC, by Bradley Stone, former president of international operations and constructions at LVS, and by Garry Saunders, former COO of Melco Resorts & Entertainment and vice president of operations at l from LVS, as well as Mario Ho, Esports entrepreneur.
