YOKOHAMA/OSAKA/TOKYO -- As the Japanese government presses ahead with plans to promote casino resorts under its newly liberalized gambling law, cities hoping to host them are running into obstacles even before the bidding begins.
The contenders to host the first three govenment-approved casinos each face their own problems. In Yokohama, southwest of Tokyo, residents are cool to the whole idea. The western city of Osaka is wrangling with casino operators and construction companies over scheduling. And Tokyo cannot seem to make up its mind whether or not to bid for a casino ahead of a gubernatorial election scheduled for July 2020.
