Packer says no to Crowns' Japanese expansion

Speaking to local newspaper The Australian, he also shelved plans for a Las Vegas casino, and spoke about the demerger from Melco Resorts.

"There isn't a great opportunity to get back into Vegas. And there isn't an opportunity to get back into Macau. I don't want our management to be distracted," said Packer.

Crown had been considering casino development opportunities in the city of Yokohama. "People talk to me about Japan. I don’t believe it is realistic for us to win a licence in Japan,” he told The Australian.

"I am not saying ‘no’ forever but what I am saying ‘no’ to is writing a AU$500m or AU$1bn cheque to go into Japan next week.”

Plans for the Japanese parliament to discuss the country's latest casino bills, on which the industry has pinned much optimism, were put on hold after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called a snap general election, which took place on October 22.

Abe’s ruling coalition looks to have won the election convincingly, securing a clear majority in the Diet.

Source: GMB