Osaka Prefectural Assembly passes IR bill

Osaka's city assembly passed the bill related to the integrated resort (IR) the prefecture and city are seeking to host on March 29, 2022, by a majority of the Osaka Ishin no Kai and Komeito caucuses¹. The prefectural assembly had already passed it on the 24th¹. The prefecture and city plan to apply to the national government for certification of the IR development plan by the April 28 deadline¹.

The Liberal Democratic Party, which supports IRs in national politics, opposed the bill in the Osaka city assembly¹. Mayor Ichiro Matsui and others had until now said there would be no public burden from the IR, but at the end of last year the city announced a plan to bear about 79 billion yen, including liquefaction countermeasure costs at the planned construction site¹. The city assembly caucus criticized this, saying the explanation had been reversed¹. The roughly 79 billion yen is under an independent accounting system, according to the report¹.

The planned site is on Yumeshima, where construction is under way¹.

What it means for players

The vote is a step in the process of authorizing an integrated resort in Osaka, not the opening of one. No casino in Osaka is operating, and the report gives no opening date. Under Japan's IR framework, as covered in Can I Gamble in Japan?, casino entry for residents of Japan is subject to rules that do not apply to visitors from abroad, and the licensing and certification process runs through the national government. The report does not describe entry conditions, games, fees or operating rules for the Osaka project, and none of those have been reported here. For detail on how IRs in the region are regulated and who may enter, see Casinos and Integrated Resorts in Asia: Who Can Enter, What You Can Play and the Rules Inside.

What happens next

The prefecture and city are to apply to the national government for certification of the IR development plan by April 28¹. The report does not state when the national government will decide on the application, when construction would be completed or when a casino would open.