politics

Cabinet OKs big-scale hotel requirement for casino resorts

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Japan will aim for casino resorts of "unprecedentedly large scale and high quality," 

Big like the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, or Venetian in Las Vegas, or the Sands Macau, i.e. big like casinos owned by Sheldon Adelson - who contributed millions to Trump's election campaign.

President Donald Trump reportedly lobbied in favor of a billionaire donor’s business interests when meeting last year with his Japanese counterpart.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-told-japans-abe-to-consider-donor-adelsons-casino-bid-report-2018-10-10

It's clear those who claimed Trump was too rich (on paper?) to be bought were wrong. Slimy businessman, slimier politician.

What's Abe been willing to trade with Trump on this?

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

With the average-sized Japanese guest room requiring 50 square meters, such a hotel would necessitate 2,000 rooms, exceeding the average of 1,500 at three major luxury Tokyo hotels.

As for the sizes of conference rooms and exhibition sites, operators will need to fulfill one of three combined numerical criteria, which include a convention center that accommodates 3,000 people with a 60,000-square-meter exhibition space.

Honestly, this requirement makes any place other than Tokyo unfeasible from a business perspective.

If you were a hotel / casino, you would have to be nuts to make this investment. No way these hotels / casinos will be profitable. This is a white elephant disaster waiting to happen!!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Honestly, this requirement makes any place other than Tokyo unfeasible from a business perspective.

I think that's the point. Too bad, Okinawa and Tohoku.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Honestly, this requirement makes any place other than Tokyo unfeasible from a business perspective.

It might be unfeasible, but I would venture that Okinawa would be a safer bet than Tokyo for this sort of super size hotel. Land costs for one. Competition for another. Okinawa has the space (on the less populated part of the island) for something like this. They are also already a leisure and resort destination. And if they can get direct flights in, they are much closer to China and the rest of Asia.

All that said, it would still be a very risky investment. Which means it will probably happen with sufficient government support, envelopes of cash and back-room deals to ensure profit for those involved.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I think that's the point. Too bad, Okinawa and Tohoku.

Well, I think part of the intent is to eliminate all but the largest, most powerful hotel / casino operators with the deepest pockets.

But the knock-on effect is to eliminate smaller operations in regional areas, as you say. Tohoku is definitely out. Okinawa is still a possibility, but risky. As @commanteer has outlined.

It might be unfeasible, but I would venture that Okinawa would be a safer bet than Tokyo for this sort of super size hotel.

Not sold on this idea, but I suppose it is not out of the realm of possibility.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

With the average-sized Japanese guest room requiring 50 square meters

I haven't stayed in many Japanese hotels with rooms that big, possibly because I am poor / a cheapskate. If the rooms were the more typical 20 m2 they could have 5000 in one hotel.

It appears that the government is writing the rules such that only their favoured schemes will be allowed. I expect bribes have already been paid to get these new rules included.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Honestly, this requirement makes any place other than Tokyo unfeasible from a business perspective.

That is far from the truth.

Casinos instantly bring in tourists. Whether they are foreign residents or Japanese residents, they will still travel to the Casino.

Casinos also increase the cost of living on the surrounding area. I don't think you want Tokyo to become more expensive while income remains stagnant. When Casinos go up the price of land and buildings in the surrounding areas go up as well. The price of goods go up as well.

Casinos cause population to increase but it also adds to poverty as well. I don't think the government wants to add to a Tokyo population boom.
-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Casinos cause population to increase but it also adds to poverty as well. I don't think the government wants to add to a Tokyo population boom.

OK, so based on the requirements, where do you think the government wants these hotels / casinos to go?!?!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"Outside the facility, casino ads can only be displayed at international terminals of airports and seaports."

Hogwash... every single news article about it is an ad, and they aren't going to stop the swath of Japanese tours that will be advertised once the places are built. I guarantee it. They have massive guided tours for a runway that's built, for Pete's sake, they'll most certainly have them for a casino, and guess what the stop at the end of the tour will entail -- gambling! You're saying they won't advertise these tours, which will advertise the casinos? In any case, hope Japan's ready for the rise in poverty, crime, and drop in overall social fabric for the quick buck it makes construction companies and politicians.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@zones2surf

Since the government is currently seeking to reduce the population and overcrowdedness in Tokyo, I would assume locations in Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Okinawa would be areas that they will heavily promote. But Casinos will end up being built where companies and governments will pay them to be built, so they will still most likely end up in Tokyo.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Bigger rooms for all the bigger foreigners!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

One hand: the casino will be used to "boost regional economies".

The other hand: we'll make the requirements so high that it will be priced out of only the biggest cities.

Not a lot of consistency, is there?

If I was cynical, I'd say that "regional economic support" is just a convenient pretense. But I'm not cynical, so I won't say that.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Osaka, I think, would be a strong possibility. Especially since the area they seem to be talking about will be next to the 2025 International Expo. I'm surprised Tokyo isn't interested.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The casino will destroy Japanese families and peaceful society. PM Abe Government is letting Japanese peoples dawn by allowing greedy blood sucker casino operators to license to suck money from Japanese peoples.

No tourists will spend their holiday money on gambling on the Casino table and Pokie machine. Only Japanese peoples will go and gamble all of their life saving money at the Casino. Pachinko and Horse Racing have destroyed many families' lives.

Why politicians do not see the reality of side effect of gambling?

Why Government doesn't try to create job opportunities for Okinawan peoples by Okinawa as only prefecture eligible to host Casino resort if the Government thinks international gamblers and tourists will spend their money in Japan?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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