A senior Japanese government official says the country is preparing to launch a second casino licensing round, potentially opening the door for two additional integrated resort (IR) permits.
According to reporting from Hokkaido Shimbun, Naoya Haraikawa — commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency and former head of the Office of Integrated Resort Regime Promotion — said this week that a new bidding phase “should not be far off.” Haraikawa helped craft Japan’s landmark 2018 IR Implementation Act, which aimed to boost leisure tourism and diversify the nation’s business-heavy economy.
While acknowledging that casinos serve as the “revenue engine” of IRs, Haraikawa noted the government’s broader goal of developing tourism hubs with a variety of attractions concentrated in one destination.
Japan’s IR Rollout Falls Short of Early Hype
Haraikawa was a key figure in advancing former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s vision to bring major destination casinos to Japan. To ease public concerns about problem gambling, the 2018 law introduced strict consumer protections, including a ¥3,000 (US$21) entry fee for Japanese citizens, pushing operators to focus on international visitors.
At the outset, virtually every major global operator — including Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, Wynn Resorts, Hard Rock International, Melco Resorts, Genting, Galaxy Entertainment, and Mohegan — explored bids. But Japan’s slow-moving regulatory process caused many to withdraw.
Sands led the exodus, and others followed. Ultimately, Japan received only two formal proposals: MGM’s bid in Osaka and Casinos Australia’s pitch for Nagasaki. The government approved MGM’s plan and rejected the Nagasaki project.
MGM and partner Orix Corporation are now building a US$9 billion IR on Osaka’s Yumeshima Island, scheduled to open in 2030.
Could New York’s Disappointed Bidders Pivot to Japan?
After Japan’s initial IR rollout faltered, global attention shifted to the three downstate New York casino licenses that became available in 2023. With state officials set to decide on winners by year-end, the race has been intense.
Sands and Wynn have already withdrawn due to community opposition and concerns over potential iGaming expansion. Still in contention are MGM, Genting, Caesars, Hard Rock, Mohegan, and Bally’s.
Those who lose may redirect their expansion ambitions — and capital — toward Japan if the country reopens its bidding process. Tokyo and Hokkaido are reportedly evaluating whether to pursue IR development in the next round.
Analysts at Morgan Stanley said this week that even with possible new casinos in Japan and Thailand, Singapore’s established duopoly — operated by Sands and Genting — is expected to remain “competitive and large” for the foreseeable future.
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