MGM Resorts International and Orix Corp have started building work on Japan’s first integrated resort, MGM Osaka.
The JPY 1.27 trillion ($8.9 billion) resort celebrated the start of construction with a groundbreaking ceremony. Representatives of MGM and Orix both attended the ceremony, alongside Hirofumi Yoshimuda, the Governor of the Osaka prefecture.
Inside the $8.9 Billion MGM Osaka and Orix Project
The resort, which will be completed and opened by Q3 2030, will feature 2,500 hotel rooms, 330,000 square feet of exhibition space, 400,000 square feet of conference facilities, and a theater with 3,500 seats.
However, local media reported that construction might be scaled back because of the international Expo 2025 Osaka event, which will require heavy machinery until 13 October.
Regardless, construction is expected to end in the fall of 2030. It will contribute to Japan’s tourism industry and be a unique project in the Kansai region and wider Japan.
Plans to launch the facility were initially reported in September 2023, when MGM opted not to withdraw from the Japanese casino sector. At the time, Rhino Entertainment’s Country Manager for Japan, Maya Yazaki, said there was growing sentiment in favor of regulating online gambling.
She added that the brand would be essential to success in the Japanese market, giving it an edge over Thailand, one of the market’s main competitors.
Later that same month, plans for building MGM Osaka were finalized in partnership with Orix Corp. MGM and Orix have both stressed a desire to contribute to the sustainable growth and development of tourism in Osaka’s economy.
MGM’s President and CEO, Bill Hornbuckle, said this was a significant moment for the company, as it closed the certification process and started focusing on executing its vision. The plan is to create Osaka’s best-in-class gaming, entertainment, dining, and retail experiences.
The State of Gambling in Japan
The creation of the resort marks a significant change for Japan, which has banned casinos and all other forms of private gambling. MGM Osaka will be the first casino property built in the country since a 2018 integrated resort law allowed the government to permit up to three IRs in the country.
This is also a big move for MGM Resorts since it was among the first casino firms to express interest in going to Japan after the country started considering gaming legislation.
AloJapan.com