Konami Corp knows all too well what casinos could do in Japan. After all, the Japanese gaming company calls the country home. So in anticipation of legislation that would drop the ban on casinos in Japan, Konami is keen to stake its claim in this new industry estimated to be worth as much as $40 billion.
Konami, known for its video games like Street Fighter, doesn’t have the financial wherewithal to bid on its own casino license, but it’s setting up a subsidiary with the hope of taking a minority stake in a project should the opportunity to partner with a foreign casino operator presents itself.
Konami has dabbled in game software and “pachinko” pinball machines in Japan. Globally, Konami is also a distributor of slot machines, something company executive Noriaki Yamaguchi believes would be a nice lure for international casino operators looking to partner with local firms.
