Austrian International Entertainment Selected to Manage Nagasaki’s Integrated Resort
Nagasaki Prefecture has selected Austrian International Entertainment to manage its integrated resort.
The operator has been chosen as the “top contender,” indicating it will have precedence in negotiating conditions with the county administration for the development of the resort.
The resort is planned to be constructed on the grounds of the Huis Ten Bosch amusement park in Sasebo City.
The resort will be a part of Japan’s IR project, which was authorized by the government in July 2018 to encourage tourism through venues with diverse commercial and cultural attractions.
The legislation stipulates that the resort can utilize up to 3% of its floor area for gaming, and local citizens will be required to pay an entry fee.
Initially, five companies self-nominated, and all five were invited to submit preliminary inquiries.
However, in March, this was reduced to three finalists – Austrian International Entertainment, Niki Chyau Fwu Group, and Oshidori International Development, which has collaborated with the American Mohegan Sun company.
In the past week, Oshidori declared its departure from the bidding competition, leaving only Austrian Casinos International and the Niki Chyau Fwu Group (a collaboration between Japanese real estate developer Niki Group and Taiwanese construction firm Chyau Fwu Group) in the running.
Oshidori expressed dissatisfaction with the development and operational guidelines established by the county government, asserting that the bidding process lacked integrity and impartiality.
The company further indicated in a formal statement that they had encountered “numerous instances of suspected unethical misconduct” during the bidding procedure. It maintains that it can only participate in the bidding process under conditions of transparency and professional selection.
Despite Oshidori’s withdrawal, it was still designated as the “second-place” bidder, in the event that Austrian Casinos International was unable to finalize the construction and operation of the resort.