GGRAsia – Partouche exit no impact on IR plan for Nagasaki: Oshidori

Partouche exit no impact on IR plan for Nagasaki: Oshidori

Aug 04, 2020 Newsdesk Japan, Latest News, Top of the deck

Japan casino suitor Oshidori International Holdings Ltd has told GGRAsia that the withdrawal of French casino operator Groupe Partouche SA from a collaboration in relation to Japan would have no impact on Oshidori’s effort to be involved in a casino resort scheme in Nagasaki prefecture.

In a Monday statement, Paris-listed Partouche said that it had terminated in May such a collaboration for an integrated resort or “IR”, as such schemes are known in Japan.

But Hong Kong-listed Oshidori International told GGRAsia in a Tuesday email that the two had formed only a “preliminary” memorandum of understanding in 2019 on “potential collaboration”.

It added: “The discussions did not result in any collaboration opportunities due to differences in vision and strategies.”

Oshidori International further noted: “As the discussion was at a very preliminary stage and both parties were not involved in any actual collaborative efforts with no resulting definitive agreement, Oshidori does not believe such termination would have any impact on the company’s bid for Nagasaki, nor pose a threat” to any such venture.

The French casino operator did not give a reason for the decision to end the tie up, nor any explanation for the delay in announcing it.

In late July, Japanese media reported that Nagasaki prefecture was considering delaying the start of its request-for-proposal (RFP) process for a tilt at hosting a casino resort scheme. Nagasaki governor Hodo Nakamura was cited as saying a factor for consideration was the delay to Japan’s national so-called basic policy on IRs.

Oshidori International had confirmed to GGRAsia in early July its intention to participate in Nagasaki prefecuture’s RFP process for hosting a casino resort. The prefecture has earmarked a site at the Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Sasebo city (pictured in file photo) as its preferred location.

A maximum of three IRs will be allowed nationally in a first phase of Japan’s market liberalisation.

Oshidori International had in June appointed former Las Vegas, Nevada, casino executive Alejandro Yemenidjian as its non-executive chairman and non-executive director. Mr Yemenidjian was also to serve as chief executive of Oshidori International Development Ltd, a unit responsible for the company’s Nagasaki aims.

“Under the leadership of the new CEO, Oshidori will present a bid far more exciting than any other project,” Oshidori International Holdings said in its Tuesday email to GGRAsia.