May 15, 2020

Major casino operator Las Vegas Sands on May 13 announced that it will no longer pursue a plan to develop an integrated resort (IR) in Japan, giving up its ambition to open a casino in Japan.

The Japanese Communist Party Yokohama City Assemblypersons' Group on the following day published a statement welcoming the decision made by the Sands, calling on Yokohama citizens to further strengthen the anti-casino movement in order to drive pro-casino assemblypersons into isolation.

Las Vegas Sands was intending to invest in a casino-centric IR which the Yokohama City government (Kanagawa Pref.) has been eager to develop in the city.

According to the 9-member JCP Assemblypersons' Group, the Liberal Democratic Party assemblypersons recently proposed that City Mayor Hayashi Fumiko invite casino resort development to revitalize the city's economy which is currently suffering from the coronavirus pandemic. In favor of this proposal, Mayor Hayashi has said that the development of an IR could be an effective way to increase tax revenues.

The JCP Assemblypersons' Group said, "The pullout decision Sands made will deal a blow to Mayor Hayashi, the LDP, and the Komei Party. The JCP in the city will continue to work hard until Yokohama City retracts its intent to have a casino resort in the city.

Past related articles:
> Casino Expo held in Yokohama amid police investigations into casino bribery scandal [January 30, 2020]
> Yokohama mayor may need to know what Marx said about casinos [August 26, 2019]