No further bids

Local government officials in Osaka, Japan have confirmed that a consortium led by MGM Resorts International is the only contender for its casino resort license.

MGM and its partner ORIX were the only companies to register in the original operator recruitment process in February 2020. Officials still decided to launch an additional request for proposals (RFP), though, because of a recent revision made to Osaka’s Integrated Resort (IR) Implementation Policy.

the new deadline passed at midday on Tuesday without any submissions

The prefecture opened up applications again from March 19 to April 6 for any other private sector entities. The Osaka government confirmed that the new deadline passed at midday on Tuesday without any submissions, leaving MGM-ORIX as the sole bidder.

MGM’s Osaka journey

MGM first announced its interest in gaining an Osaka casino resort license in May 2019. During the prefecture’s request-for-concept application process, MGM seemed to face some tough competition. Galaxy Entertainment, Genting Singapore, Wynn Resorts, Melco Resorts, and Las Vegas Sands all expressed interest at some point.

The majority of operators withdrew from the race before 2020, leaving just Galaxy, Genting, and MGM. In February of last year, Osaka officials named MGM-ORIX as the only viable contender for the project. MGM’s two remaining competitors subsequently shifted their focus to Yokohama.

Although MGM-ORIX may have secured Osaka’s casino spot, the prefecture is not guaranteed to host an integrated resort (IR). Osaka must provide the federal government with its casino proposal starting on October 1. Japan’s government then plans to grant three IR permits in 2022.

Japan’s potential IR locations

Japan legalized casino resorts toward the end of the 2018 legislative session. Government officials agreed to offer only three IR licenses to cities and regions across the country. Osaka, Nagasaki, and Yokohama are the main contenders for these three permits.

all five Nagasaki applicants progressed to the next selection stage

In Nagasaki, officials have confirmed that five companies are currently vying for the prefecture’s casino license. Among them are a consortium involving Current Corp and Get Nice Holdings, and Casinos Austria. Last month, all five Nagasaki applicants progressed to the next stage in the region’s RFP process.

Meanwhile, Yokohama is accepting applicants for its own IR license until May 17. Seven gambling companies have expressed interest in bidding for the resort, including Genting Singapore, Galaxy Entertainment, and Sega Sammy Holdings. The prefecture will announce the successful bidder in the summer of 2021.