Yokohama, Japan's second largest city, has officially withdrawn its bid to host a casino resort.The city was once a big favorite to be selected as one of the three integrated resorts under a government bill to legalize casino gambling in Japan passed in 2.
However, since Dr. Takeharu Yamanaka was elected as the new mayor of Yokohama, the characters against the casino process have been written in Yokohama.
Professor Yamanaka, a data scientist and former professor at Yokohama City University, has no political experience.However, his study of analyzing the vaccine efficacy of coronavirus has pitched him to voters, suggesting that casinos are not of great concern to those who prioritize pandemic safety. ..
The people were not convinced
As a matter of fact, the general public did not support casinos.The legalization of casinos has long been a long-cherished desire of the LDP to promote tourism and revitalize the economy through integrated resorts.However, especially in Yokohama, the people are never convinced.
SaitoBut I wonder if there are many stupid guys because they play pachinko?
Bakara-chanWrap it in oblate a little more ...
According to a September 2018 poll commissioned by the city government, a staggering 9% of Yokohama citizens have a negative view of allowing them to build an integrated casino resort in the city. I answered.Most cited the increase in problematic gambling as a major concern.
Meanwhile, the LDP's approval rating for casinos plummeted as the government failed to counter a pandemic.Last week, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that he would not aim for reelection in just one year after his inauguration.
Japan has experienced three emergencies and four pandemics, and many large cities are still in an emergency.
Process stagnation due to COVID
Former Mayor Fumiko Hayashi expressed interest in Yokohama's integrated resorts in 2019.Former Mayor Fumiko Hayashi declared that Yokohama would be interested in integrated resorts in 2019, but she lost in the previous election as she continued to support the casino plan.
"In response to public opposition to integrated resort projects, the city government will immediately stop the ongoing integrated resort bidding process," the new mayor said in his first statement at the local council on Friday. rice field.
The process itself has been shut down due to a coronavirus pandemic, but the government says it plans to choose three locations between October and April next year.
Now that Yokohama is no longer a candidate, there are three remaining candidate sites: Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Wakayama Prefecture, and Nagasaki Prefecture.Each of them is conducting bid activities in partnership with overseas casino operators.
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