Photo/Illutration The Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, where the prefectural government plans to build a resort facility featuring a casino. (Eiji Hori)

NAGASAKI--The Nagasaki prefectural government has awarded priority negotiation rights to an Austrian company for a planned casino-centered resort at the Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Sasebo in the prefecture.

Prefectural officials expect to sign a basic agreement with Casinos Austria International Japan as early as this month, according to their announcement on Aug. 10.

Casinos Austria International Japan, based in Tokyo, was one of three candidates the prefectural government had narrowed from five applicants.

Officials selected the company on Aug. 6 after evaluating the candidates’ overall proposals for the casino-centered integrated resort facility, their ability to operate and their measures to deal with gambling addiction, among other aspects.

Casinos Austria International Japan’s parent company is Casinos Austria International, the Vienna-based operator of 215 casinos in 35 countries, many of them in Europe.

“We picked the company because it gives us the best prospects for turning our plan into a reality,” a prefectural official said.

The prefecture plans to inject up to 460 billion yen ($4.19 billion) into the project to construct the resort facility with a casino, international conference center and a hotel at a 31-hectare segment of the Huis Ten Bosch park.

The prefectural government estimates the facility will attract 6.9 million to 9.3 million visitors annually to the Kyushu region.

The prefectural government will submit its plans for the project to the central government by April 28 after its selection of the casino operator becomes official.

Apart from Nagasaki Prefecture, the Osaka prefectural government, which is partnering with the Osaka city government, the Yokohama city government and the Wakayama prefectural government are proceeding with plans to bring such facilities to their jurisdictions.

The central government will begin accepting applications from local governments in October and choose up to three sites.

In the Aug. 22 Yokohama mayoral election, hosting a casino is a key issue. Six of the eight candidates oppose the project the city government is proposing, reflecting the widespread wariness among residents over bringing a casino-based resort to the city.

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