Toyonori Takahashi, Orix: “We believe the IR will attract many visitors and tourists to Osaka”

Toyonori Takahashi, ORIX’s Group Kansai representative shared details about the integrated resort the company is currently developing in Osaka alongside MGM Resorts International.

Japan.- The Orix Group has issued a press release sharing details about the integrated resort (IR) with a casino it is currently developing on Yumeshima island through a joint venture with MGM Resorts International and several other Japanese entities as smaller-scale investors. 

The company said the IR is attracting interest both inside the country and around the world and has the potential to boost domestic as well as regional tourism across Asia and generate strong returns for the resort’s principal developers: ORIX Group and MGM.

Toyonori Takahashi, ORIX’s Group Kansai representative, said: “This is Japan’s first IR resort and we believe it will attract many visitors and tourists to Osaka, both from the rest of Japan and from overseas.”

The IR is expected to cost JPY1.27tn (US$ 8.9bn) and is anticipated to generate annual revenue of JPY520bn, of which about 80 per cent is expected to come from the casino. It will also include hotels, shopping areas, convention areas and facilities. Operations are slated to commence by autumn 2030.

According to the Orix Group, there is unlikely to be any national competition in the short term. While the national government originally considered approving three IRs across the country, the development of the other two projects has been put on hold for now.

The city of Nagasaki submitted its IR District Development Plan alongside Osaka in 2022, aiming to partner with Casinos Austria International Japan and to open by 2027, but the project was rejected. Meanwhile, Yokohama withdrew its IR plans after Takeharu Yamanaka won the mayoral elections. 

In the region, the IR will have to compete with established resorts in Asia, especially those in Macau and Singapore. Nevertheless, Takahashi said he was confident that Japan’s diverse offerings, ranging from food to culture to nature for visitors to explore and enjoy, “give it strong advantages over these smaller cities”.

He then added: “I believe projects like Yumeshima and Umekita contribute both to our company and to Kansai as a whole. I am confident in the success of Japan’s first integrated resort development.”

Japan sends delegation to Australia to study NSW casino framework

Last December, a delegation from the Japan Casino Regulatory Commission visited New South Wales (NSW) to study the Australian state’s approach to modernising casino regulations.

On December 4, 2024, Hiroyuki Ujikane, Michiko Watari and Keiko Ishikawa met with NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC) chief commissioners Philip Crawford and Stephen Parbery. They later toured Crown Sydney’s members-only facility.

Crawford said Japan has the advantage of being able to learn from other jurisdictions. “Japan is in the midst of setting up their regulatory structure, so the functions are in place well in advance of the casino opening,” Crawford said.

“They have had the benefit of watching other jurisdictions deal with misconduct and then retrospectively attempt to adjust compliance cultures to address bad behaviour and poor governance. It’s important to get it right as early as possible and to build in the capabilities to stay alert to emerging risks.

“I can’t understate the many challenges facing casino regulators in an increasingly data-driven, digital age. Given the complexity of casino systems, regulators need to be on their toes and work with each other to find solutions to shared issues.”

The Japanese Casino Regulatory Commission was created in 2020, four years after the government passed legislation to allow for three integrated resort licences. It has around 150 staff and is focused on preparing a framework covering areas such as integrity, compliance, enforcement, licensing and intelligence.

Toyonori Takahashi, ORIX’s Group Kansai representative shared details about the integrated resort the company is currently developing in Osaka alongside MGM Resorts International. Japan.- The Orix Group has issued a…