Yokohama Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka, the newly elected anti-casino mayor, confirmed that the Japanese city, an office specially designated to push ahead with casino plans backed by his predecessor, Fumiko Hayashi, will be “abolished” from Oct. 1.

Information gathered by GGRAsia’s Japan correspondent said the city (pictured) would take necessary steps to roll back its “integrated resort” or “IR” policy and repeal the IR plans it has taken in recent years, as plans related to large-scale casino resorts are known in Japan.

Mr Yamanaka promised on Friday, nearly two years after he announced in October 2019 that he would dismantle Yokohama’s integrated resort promotion office. He spoke at the third full session of the Yokohama City Council in 2021 after winning an election for mayor on Aug. 22.

Yamanaka, a former professor at Yokohama City University who received 33.59% of the vote on the day, said Yokohama would not apply to the national government for the right to host the integrated resort.

However, he did not elaborate on the schedule for Yokohama to pull out of the process.

Most recently, Genting Singapore, the operator of Singapore casino venue Resort World Sentosa, and Melco Resorts and Entertainment, the casino operator that operates venues in Macau and the Philippines, have been named two candidates in the race to secure licenses in Yokohama.

Under the liberalization plan, up to three casino resorts will be allowed nationwide in Japan.

Yokohama proposed an additional budget of 400 million yen ($3.6 million) in September 2019 to drive IR ambitions, covering the fiscal year 2019 to 2021.

BY: 바카라사이트