In Japan and the race to find the international operator for Osaka’s proposed integrated casino resort is now reportedly down to three runners encompassing Galaxy Entertainment Group Limited, MGM Resorts International and Genting Malaysia Berhad.

According to a report from Inside Asian Gaming, officials in Honshu city revealed in June that seven foreign firms had expressed a firm interest in possibly running its envisioned gambling-friendly establishment but this club has now been further thinned following recent decisions by both Melco Resorts and Entertainment Limited and Las Vegas Sands Corporation to concentrate their efforts on a rival schemes being pushed for Yokohama and Tokyo.

Suggested schemes:

Inside Asia Gaming reported that the still-interested three had earlier taken part in the request for concept (RFC) portion of the Osaka bidding process in which they were required to include a number of core specifications for any planned development such as the size and scale of its hotel, convention and exhibition facilities. The trio will now purportedly engage in talks with city officials in advance of participating in the more formal request for proposal (RFP) phase of the Japanese selection process.

Remaining hurdles:

Osaka will subsequently be required to hold a series of public consultations before selecting its preferred operating partner and submitting its final integrated casino resort scheme to federal selectors in Tokyo. Should its ultimate proposal be selected, the winning operator will most likely purportedly be required to spend upwards of $10 billion on constructing a Las Vegas-style venue that features not only a casino but also hotels, convention and exhibition facilities and a unique attraction designed to attract international tourists to the wider region.

High hopes:

Inside Asian Gaming reported that Osaka, which wants to utilize a 121-acre plot of reclaimed land on Yumeshima Island for its scheme, is now hoping to have the new integrated casino resort up and running in 2024 ahead of the subsequent start of its World Expo 2025 international exhibition.