The Osaka municipal and prefectural governments are counting on a planned integrated resort (IR), with Japan’s first casino at its core, to spur economic growth.
However, the plan just narrowly passed the government’s screening. Various conditions were set, including devising measures to combat gambling addiction and coming up with ways to deal with possible land subsidence on the artificial island of Yumeshima where the resort is to be built.
The government’s seven-member panel of experts in tourism and economics released a report Friday on its screening of the IR development plan submitted by Osaka Prefecture. The plan scored 657.9 points out of a total of 1,000 points covering 25 items, slightly above the passing line of 600.
