Bali’s Snow Fukuoka Hopes New IR Bid

U.S.-based casino operator Valis Corp. said Wednesday it plans to develop an integrated resort (IR) in Fukuoka, Japan, on the northern coast of Kyushu Island, although neither the city nor the prefecture has issued any statements about its plans to host the casino resort.

Fukuoka is the sixth largest city in Japan, and Kyushu is the third largest island in the country. Fukuoka has a population of about 13 million people, and reportedly accounts for about 10 percent of Japan's economic output. Earlier this month, the mayor of Fukuoka said that he was not interested in hosting IR in the large city.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Vice President of Corporate Development Christopher Junet said Fukuoka "has tremendous potential as a host community of integrated resorts."

"This project, along with its long and rich heritage, can elevate the status of this historic region to a truly international destination," added Mr. Jewett.

Bali's management said the group plans to develop a 480 billion yen ($3.9 billion) project with Umino-Kamichi Beach Park as its preferred site. According to presentation data shown at the briefing, the complex will include 2,000 hotel rooms and 15,000 square meters (161,459 square feet) of casinos.

Bali covers about 4.6 million customers a year, mostly domestic, with annual gross profit of 71 billion yen.

April 28 is the deadline for local governments to apply to the government for casino resort bids. Under the existing liberalization program, up to three are allowed nationwide. Currently, Nagasaki, Wakayama, and Osaka are expected to each submit their casino resort applications.

The city and the prefecture have not expressed their intention to become one of Japan's first casino resorts. Business groups in Kyushu and other municipalities have already backed an IR bid for Nagasaki, in the southern part of the city.

In a briefing, Bali's Mr Jewett said the game operator knew the existing national process for selecting candidates for integrated resorts would be finalised at the end of April. "It is possible that the national government will choose to resume the bidding process after evaluating the initial offer," the executive said.

"If this happens, Fukuoka has the potential to establish itself as a strong candidate for selection," he added. "However, it is clear that no proposal is possible without the strong support of many members of the community."

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