With speculation Japanese lawmakers will finally approve permits for gaming resorts, Hard Rock Cafe International says it plans a ‘major investment.’
It is seeking partners to jointly bid for a license, said CEO Hamish Dodds.
"We can either play a lead role or a partnership role. We really hope that we can collaborate with Japanese partners and institutions," Dodds said during an interbiew in Tokyo.
After years of holding off legalizing gambling, Japan is likely to approve it as it experiences a tourism boom.
"The feeling we get is that this is more likely to happen now. There’s more noise, there’s greater discussions in the commercial sector about how and when this will be realized," Dodds told Bloomberg.
Rivals MGM Resorts, Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts also want a piece of the action, which could be worth up to $40 billion a year, according to analysts.
The major casino players including Hard Rock were all at a gaming conference in Japan last week seeking interest from potential partners and lobbying politicians ahead of a legislative vote on the matter.
