H.I.S. Co.'s Dutch-themed Huis Ten Bosch amusement park along the Nagasaki coast is considering buying a deserted offshore island in an expansion to boost its appeal as a possible site for a casino resort.

"We are planning to buy new land to offer more games at the Huis Ten Bosch theme park," Hideo Sawada, chairman of the Tokyo-based travel agency and park operator, said in an interview last week. "There are a lot of deserted islands nearby." He said at least ¥100 billion is needed to fund a gambling resort at the park.

Huis Ten Bosch and sites across Japan are preparing to compete for possible gambling resort developments before the nation ends a ban on casinos, with preliminary legislation expected to be passed in the coming months. Global operators from Las Vegas Sands Corp. to Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. have said they are prepared to invest billions of dollars should they win permits for casinos in the world's third-largest economy.