Dynam 2Q revenues fall 4.8 percent; Odaiba tipped as most popular casino spot in Japan

Dynam 2Q revenues fall 4.8 percent; Odaiba tabbed as most popular casino spot in Japan

Dynam Japan Holdings Co. posted 2Q 2014 revenue numbers, dropping 4.8 percent compared to its revenue in the same period last year. For the three months that ended June 30, Dynam posted revenue of 38.2 billion yen ($371 million). The decrease stems from a similar 8.3 percent year-to-year decline in total gross pay-ins of 213 billion yen ($2.1 billion).

Dynam 2Q revenues fall 4.8 percent; Odaiba tabbed as most popular casino spot in JapanThe company believes that a decrease in usage of pachinko machines stems from an increase in consumption tax in April (when the country raised its sales tax from 5 percent to 8 percent).

Moving forward, Dynam is laying out its plans to expand its pachinko business by opening halls with “low playing costs.” Dynam currently operates 377 halls throughout Japan and the company is pushing forward with plans to increase that number to 1,000 halls by March 2023. Dynam is also hoping to get into the Japan casino picture if Japan passes legislation later this year.

Speaking of Japan’s casino picture, Tokyo Governor Yoichi Mesuzoe‘s reluctance to open Tokyo as a casino destination isn’t expected to last very long, especially when there’s just so much money involved. A recent online survey conducted by Japanese advertisement and public relations agency Hakuhodo Inc. identified Tokyo’s Odaiba waterfront district as the most popular location in Japan to develop an integrated resort. According to the survey, 25.9 percent of the respondents chose Odaiba, miles ahead of runner-up Okinawa Prefecture at 14.2 percent, followed by Osaka at 13.2 percent and Yokohama at 10.5 percent.

Hakuhodo expects that an integrated resort and casino in Odaiba has the potential to attract as many 24 million local visitors per year with annual sales potentially reaching as high as 2.9 trillion yen ($28.2 billion). By comparison, a resort in Okinawa has the potential to attract 14 million local visitors and generate sales of 1.3 trillion yen ($12.6 billion) while Osaka could get as many as 13 million local visitors with sales hitting 1.9 trillion yen ($18.5 billion).