According to the Canada-based management company, they are French casino operator Groupe Partouche SA and AMSE Resorts Japan Co Ltd, the latter linked to former casino executive William Weidner.

Clairvest Neem Ventures was confirmed last week by the Wakayama government as the business partner for the local government’s tilt at hosting a casino resort. It’s proposal is estimated to have an “initial investment” worth JPY470 billion.

On Monday, Clairvest said in a statement that its consortium would have the “expertise of two of the most experienced teams” in the development and management of casino resorts.

The statement quoted Jeff Parr, vice chairman of Clairvest Group, as saying that the firm shared a common vision with its two new partners, and that the consortium would help Wakayama strengthen the economic recovery after the pandemic.

According to the release, AMSE is linked to Mr Weidner, a former president and chief operating officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp, and backed by Global Gaming Asset Management LLC.

AMSE is also said to involve Mario Ho Yau KwanHo Yau Kwan, chief marketing officer of iDreamSky Technology, a company experienced in the development of eSports events and video games.

Groupe Partouche, listed on Euronext in Paris, was founded in 1973, and operates an aggregate of 42 casinos and employs almost 4,000 people.

The French company was originally involved in efforts to plan for a casino resort in Nagasaki, first in partnership with Hong Kong-listed firm Oshidori International Holdings, and later in association with Tokyo-listed Pixel Companyz Inc. The latter however was not selected by the Nagasaki authorities.

As for Wakayama. Clairvest Neem Ventures was the only contender for the prefecture’s request-for-proposal process, after a withdrawal from Suncity Holdings Japan Co Ltd, a firm linked to entrepreneur Alvin Chau, boss of Macau junket investor Suncity Group.

Editing by Rachel Hu