The glittering centerpiece of Japan’s first casino-centered integrated resort (IR) will be a 27-story tower, it was revealed in early January. And as the next round of bids for the country’s highly sought-after casino-resort licences begins, ongoing site work and preparatory construction continues in Osaka, which will see MGM Resorts International bring world-class hospitality, gaming and entertainment to the region in 2030.
IR means a large complex that brings together international conference and exhibition facilities, hotels, restaurants, retail, entertainment venues and a casino, all in one destination. Privately developed and operated as a unified project, IRs are designed to transform tourism into a next-generation growth industry and breathe new life into local communities. Serving as a catalyst for global competitiveness, IRs often open the door to sustainable economic growth and a more prosperous future.
In October, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Yasushi Kaneko to promote the development of IRs and “realize attractive stay-type tourism, which is highly competitive in the international market.”
The Japanese government on Dec 17 set out the likely date of the next application round for communities that wish to host an IR with a casino. The six-month-long application window is provisionally from May 6 to Nov 5 in 2027, but the public-comment process will run from Dec 17 to Jan 16, 2026.
Hokkaido Prefecture, which dropped out of the first round of IRs in 2019, had announced on Dec 1 that it will press ahead with a general policy aim of hosting a reviewed IR with casino concept, in anticipation of the national government opening a new application process. Nagasaki Prefecture has also been identified by the media as keen to host the next IR, but it faces “funding uncertainties.”
MGM Osaka says its resort “will showcase MGM’s signature luxury, cultural experiences and cutting-edge amenities tailored to both international visitors and local guests, while contributing to Osaka’s evolution as a world-class destination.”
Construction of the $9 billion project started on a 49-hectare Yumeshima island site next to the north side of the Osaka Kansai Expo venue in Osaka Bay in April 2025 and is scheduled to open in the Summer or Autumn of 2030.
The consortium includes the Japanese subsidiary of US casino operator MGM Resorts International, Orix Corp. and other investors. The planned casino will feature around 470 tables for poker and baccarat, as well as about 6,400 electronic tables for slots and other games, according to reports. The 70,000-square-meter international convention center will have conference rooms for more than 6,000 people and the three hotels—MGM Osaka, MGM Villas and Musubi Hotel—will offer about 2,500 guest rooms. Commercial facilities, dining options, and a bus terminal will also be developed.
The casino is expected to attract up to 20 million visitors a year and generate around ¥520 billion in sales.
Ed Bowers, President of Global Development at MGM Resorts International and CEO of MGM Resorts Japan, led the groundbreaking ceremony on April 24. He said at a gaming conference in May that the national government of Japan is “actively working” on a fresh process round for IRs, with the hope of approving two new licences. However, he said that challenges include an “overly complex regulatory and legal framework” and rising construction costs.
Bowers said, “Going forward, I believe the major challenges will be securing post-opening labour, and working constructively with Japan’s regulators to ensure that the operating environment adheres to other countries’ best practices and is not uniquely restricted.”
In 1999, former Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara was first to advocate bringing casino resorts to Japan, specifically to the Odaiba district of the capital. The IR Implementation Law was finally enacted in 2018 by the second Abe administration. As the country recovered from Covid, which derailed the IR process in 2020, Nagasaki, Wakayama, Yokohama and other areas lost their bids to host the IR and only Osaka was approved in April 2023.
To allay fears of gambling addiction, money laundering and gangsterism, a Casino Management Committee was established by the Cabinet Office in January 2020. Despite this, many locals oppose casino resorts.
