Hard Rock Publishes Details of Future Japan Resort

With the first wave of casino liberalization in Japan already gone, major gambling operators are competing for several licenses to be handed out for construction of casino resorts across the country.

One of them is Hard Rock International that has recently unveiled all details of their planned integrated entertainment resort in the city of Tomakomai on the island of Hokkaido, Japan.

Land of the Rising Opportunities

Japan’s government and its Prime Minister have officially declared casino gambling legal last year, prompting a fierce race for the building of three casino projects on locations that are yet to be determined.

Being massive in size, the country’s market is made up from mostly affluent population that has a significant penchant for gambling…

With that in mind, casino titans such as MGM, Caesars, LV Sands, Melco and Hard Rock are all expecting their first casino licenses to be granted in 2020 – with 2025 scheduled as a year of opening of the first casino resort.

Hard Rock International’s proposal in regard to Tomakomai – a widely popular tourist destination – contains some trademark signature elements such as the guitar-shaped hotel property with the monorail access, Four Seasons hotel, Hard Rock Live entertainment venue, multipurpose theaters, a wellness center and 215,000 square feet of space reserved for fine dining and retail shops.

As a nice addition and a recognition of the local culture…

…there will also be an “authentic Ainu village experience” as a way of raising awareness of island’s indigenous people.

Futuristic Technology, Arts and Top-Tier Partnerships

Local high-tech provider NEC will help Hard Rock roll out the state-of-the-art facial recognition technology to be included as a safety measure.

Major partnership deals with MLB franchise, the New York Yankees and Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment (that presents “Broadway-style productions in international markets”) have already been inked as a way of securing the pre-developed business outlook for the Hokkaido resort.

A special touch is brought in a form of Music Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, which will be locally oriented, in order to “praise the musical accomplishments of Japanese and Asian artists.”

A Small Part Allowed For Gambling

In a press release put together for this occasion, company’s chairman, Jim Allen, said:

“We are extremely excited about the prospect of introducing our Hard Rock family to the people of Hokkaido, Japan with this world-class entertainment resort. It will not only bring economic benefits to the local community, but also act as a gateway to learn more about the wonderful heritage of Japan and all that it has to offer.”

The legislation ed in July 2018 clearly states that only 3% of resort’s total capacity may be reserved for purposes of hosting gambling events…

…which is why there was no casino in Hard Rock’s initial plan, but it will most certainly be included once the operator figures out the way to construct it according to this specific legal requirement.

Source:

“Hard Rock offers detail on proposed Hokkaido project”, GGRAsia.com, January 14th, 2019.