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November 15, 2023

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — In a significant strategic move, Sega Sammy Holdings and its subsidiary Sega Sammy Creation have revealed plans to acquire GAN Limited (GAN), which is a Nasdaq-listed Software as a Service provider for casino operators in the United States as well as an online gaming operator in Europe and South America.

This acquisition, set to be completed through a newly established special purpose company in Bermuda, has received support from GAN’s board of directors. However, the finalization of the deal is contingent upon approval from GAN shareholders, regulatory approvals in relevant jurisdictions, and the fulfillment of customary conditions.

The closing date is expected to come at the end of next year.

Sega Sammy, known for its ventures such as Paradise City in collaboration with South Korea’s Paradise Co. and contributions to casino gaming equipment, is looking to benefit from the rapidly expanding online gambling market in the United States. This market was valued at approximately US$12 billion last year, is expected to reach US$16.5 billion this year and a staggering US$27 billion in 2027.

The agreed-upon acquisition price is set at US$1.97 per share, with GAN shareholders receiving the consideration in cash. Following the merger, GAN will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sega Sammy Creation.

GAN’s market-leading online gaming technologies, featuring the Player Account Management System and Remote Gaming Server, are considered highly competitive in the US market. Sega Sammy anticipates that the synergy between GAN’s technology and its own customer base and content development capabilities will lead to expanded distribution and an increased customer reach.

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SkyDrive and KEPCO to Charge Up Flying Cars

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November 13, 2023

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — SkyDrive has partnered with the Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) to develop electric charging facilities for flying cars (eVTOLs); this collaboration aims to install and operate charging facilities in the Osaka region in preparation for the 2025 World Expo.

SkyDrive has been working to create an affordable eVTOL aircraft for daily mass transportation. As part of the Advanced Air Mobility Smart Mobility Expo Project, SkyDrive will showcase its main eVTOL aircraft model.

KEPCO, the major regional utility firm, is looking to enter the eVTOL charging infrastructure sector as a new opportunity to further expand its business.

The eVTOL charging facilities will be designed for rapid charging with high current and voltage, hoping to ensure efficient and seamless air taxi operations. The scalable designs might open the door to global applications.

The initial charging facilities are set to be installed at the Flight Test Facility by the end of the year, supporting the ongoing flight test program. Subsequently, another facility will be established at the eVTOL vertiport on Yumeshima island, where the expo is scheduled to be held.

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Osaka Government Officials Delete Casino Resort Emails

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November 6, 2023

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — It has been revealed that officials of Osaka City deleted official emails regarding the planned casino resort after they had received information disclosure requests.

The content of the emails regarded the real estate appraisal for the casino resort, which is to be located on the manmade Yumeshima island in Osaka Bay.

Rather than respond appropriately to the information disclosure request, the officials instead deleted the emails from the network server and then claimed that they did not exist. This false response was provided even to the Osaka City Council.

A subsequent investigation, however, discovered that the emails and their attachments had been saved in a separate location.

The city has taken disciplinary action–a one-month pay cut–against two managers, and delivered reprimands to two others.

At a press conference, a city spokesperson stated that “although we couldn’t confirm that there was an intentional attempt to hide them, it did damage our credibility.”

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Subaru Air Mobility Concept

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October 30, 2023

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Subaru has entered the flying car (eVTOL) race with an attention-grabbing appearance at the Japan Mobility Show 2023, which is being held at Tokyo Big Sight until November 5.

The Subaru Air Mobility Concept signifies the Japanese automaker’s vision for the future of transportation. Its eVTOL is to be powered by an electric motor.

With dimensions of approximately 4.5 meters in width and 6 meters in length, it marks Subaru’s first venture into electric aviation technology.

Subaru has experience in the aviation sector, manufacturing helicopters and producing components for larger aircraft.

While the details regarding the commercialization of its eVTOL are pending, Subaru has now signaled its intention to become a new player in the developing advanced air mobility industry.

Separately, Subaru also presented an electric vehicle (EV) sports car at the exhibition, showcasing the brand’s broader dedication to innovation within the electric mobility landscape.

Subaru, which was founded in 1953, has been known for its commitment to all-wheel-drive technology.

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Police Move Toward Online Gambling Crackdown

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October 29, 2023

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Recent moves by the National Police Agency suggest that the long-rumored crackdown on online gambling may finally be underway.

The strongest move came late last month when police made unprecedented arrests of five alleged settlement agents for online casinos based overseas, in this case the Netherlands.

According to the information which police released to the media, the suspects made over US$14 million in commissions on hundreds of millions of dollars sent to the overseas online casino operators. In other words, they were the financial middlemen who collected deposits from Japanese gamblers and then ensured that the foreign company or companies were paid for the customers’ gambling losses.

The investigators said that about 42,000 names were registered in the customer data of the arrested agents. Also, a couple dozen gamblers were charged with simple gambling.

Earlier in September, a man in Chiba Prefecture was arrested for posting videos of himself on YouTube as he was engaged in online gambling. One of the main problems with enforcement is the fact this crime usually takes place quietly in peoples’ private homes, but in this case the man broadcast his lawbreaking to the public.

The National Police Agency is eager to dispel the widespread notion that online gambling is a legal “gray area.” In fact, since 2013 it has been explicitly designated as a crime–at least for those who physically operate within Japan. In other words, Japanese law does not apply to the foreign online casino operators, but it does apply to anyone inside Japan who assists these operations–such as the financial settlement agents–as well as ordinary people who utilize these gambling services (which are marketed and operated in Japanese language).

There are thought to be nearly 3 million Japanese who sometimes engage in illegal online gambling.

In order to catch some of them–or least some of those who facilitate online casinos–from this month the National Police Agency is expanding the scope of its anonymous crime reporting system to include gambling offenses.

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Suzuki Factory to Produce SkyDrive Flying Cars

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October 10, 2023

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Akihabara News (Tokyo) — A Suzuki-owned factory in Iwata city, Shizuoka Prefecture, will be used to produce up to one hundred units of the SkyDrive eVTOL (flying car). Production is expected to begin next spring.

In this connection, SkyDrive created at the beginning of September a wholly-owned production subsidiary with Nobuo Kishi as its first president. This subsidiary has been named Sky Works Inc.

Suzuki Motor Corporation and SkyDrive first announced their alliance in March last year, and they have been steadily tightening their cooperation.

The two companies have been collaborating in areas such as research and development, planning manufacturing systems, and the exploration of overseas markets, with an initial focus on India.

SkyDrive revealed that it is paying particular attention to areas in India where tourists visit historical buildings alongside rivers or by the sea.

Well in advance of production, SkyDrive has already collected preorders for hundreds of its forthcoming eVTOL. The latest announcement came last month when it was revealed that Solyu Company, an Korean aircraft leasing firm, put in a preorder for up to fifty units of the SkyDrive eVTOLs.

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Huis Ten Bosch Wants Decision on Casino Project

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October 5, 2023

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — President Kotaro Takamura of the Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Sasebo city, Nagasaki Prefecture, has requested that the central government come to a quick decision on whether or not to grant a license to the major casino resort project that could be built next door.

“Our business strategy would be completely different depending on whether or not it will be built,” he observed. He added that “Japan’s tourism industry is at a major turning point.”

Takamura has just been brought in to rejuvenate Huis Ten Bosch, a theme park based on traditional Dutch culture, after the coronavirus downturn. He expressed the view that the park needs to expand its attractions in order to retain its status as a major tourist draw in western Japan.

Takamura previously worked at Tokyo Disney Resort, where he had a key role in expanding DisneySea attractions.

Last September, Huis Ten Bosch was acquired by PAG, one of Asia’s largest investment companies, after a long period owned by the travel company H.I.S. The purchase price was around ¥100 billion (US$675 million).

Nagasaki Prefecture and the Casinos Austria consortium submitted their proposal to build a ¥438 billion (US$3 billion) casino resort in April 2022, but eighteen months later the central government has yet to decide on whether or not to license it. Tokyo is reportedly concerned that the project may lack the financing to deliver the Integrated Resort on the scale which has been promised.

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Osaka Casino Resort Implementation Agreement

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September 28, 2023

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City have agreed with the business consortium led by MGM Resorts International and the Orix Corporation to implement the project to build a major casino resort on Yumeshima island.

“This is a significant moment for our company as we officially close the certification process and begin to focus on executing our vision, in partnership with Orix, to build a world-class integrated resort in Osaka,” said Bill Hornbuckle, president and CEO of MGM Resorts. “We remain passionately committed to this project and look forward to bringing Japan and Osaka best-in-class gaming, entertainment, dining, and retail experiences. Our vision is to bring MGM’s ‘wow’ DNA from Las Vegas to Osaka and build a resort that will be a source of great pride in the community.”

The project has now established an English and Japanese language website called Osaka IR KK, naming Ed Bowers (MGM) and Toyonori Takahashi (Orix) as its joint representatives. “IR” refers to the term “Integrated Resort,” which is used by the industry to denote a large casino resort packed with many non-gambling entertainment options and other amenities.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism appears set to give its final approval for construction to begin as well.

The current timeline calls for preparatory work such as installing water and electricity next summer, commencing construction of the main facility in the spring of 2025, and a grand opening to the public in the second half of 2030.

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More Delay for Osaka Casino Resort

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September 7, 2023

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — The planned casino resort on Osaka’s manmade Yumeshima island, once targeted for an early 2025 opening, has now slipped back to an anticipated launch in late 2030. Moreover, the price tag for the initiative also continues to rise.

Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura explained that “as a result of various procedures, the opening will be delayed for another year.” He added that “we expect no further postponements.”

The local authorities also indicated that, due to rising construction costs, related to both materials and workforce, the initial investment to create the resort is now estimated at 1.27 trillion yen (US$8.6 billion), up significantly from the previous estimate of 1.08 trillion yen (US$7.3 billion).

The taxpayers of Osaka prefecture and city will be on the hook for approximately 25.7 billion yen (US$170 million) to decontaminate and reinforce the soil on the 492,000 square meter plot of land upon which the resort will be located.

The Osaka project is so far the only Integrated Resort (IR) which has been licensed by the central government. A final decision on Nagasaki Prefecture’s application is still pending.

MGM Resorts and the Orix Corporation are both 40% partners in the Yumeshima IR development, with smaller Japanese companies owning the remainder.

Construction is expected to begin around spring 2025.

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