Construction of the main facility of the MGM Osaka integrated resort started on 24 April 2025 on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay, next to the site of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo1. The operator, MGM Osaka, formerly Osaka IR Corporation, is aiming to open Japan's first casino-containing integrated resort in autumn 20301.
The stated reason for the increase is higher construction material and labor costs driven by inflation1. MGM Resorts International's Japan entity and Orix, the main shareholders, will each increase their investment by about 120 billion yen to cover the additional amount1.
The project's facilities are planned with the following dimensions1.
| Facility | Floors | Height | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main facility | 27 above ground | 126 meters | Two hotels totaling 1,840 rooms and a casino with 23,293 square meters of gaming floor space, 470 table games and 6,400 electronic gaming machines1 |
| MICE facility | 4 | 27 meters | Conference and exhibition space on a 16.7 hectare site1 |
| Resort hotel | 13 | 56 meters | 660 rooms1 |
Across the whole project the site is about 49 hectares next to the expo grounds, with total floor area of about 850,000 square meters, three hotels totaling 2,500 rooms, an international conference hall with a room seating more than 6,000 people, and the 3,500 seat Yumeshima Theater1.
The operator's casino license application and the government's grant of that license are listed with no dates1.
"2025年4月24日から施設本体の建設工事に着工しました"
What it means for players
The sources describe a casino with 470 table games and 6,400 electronic gaming machines inside the resort, but do not state which games will be offered, the entry rules for Japanese residents or foreign visitors, or the admission fee arrangements beyond a combined prefecture and city figure of 110 billion yen a year, made up of 77 billion yen in payments and 33 billion yen in admission fees1. Japan's national rules on casino entry, and how they will apply at this property, have not been reported in these sources. Until the operator applies for and receives its casino license, no gaming at the site is possible1.
What happens next
The operator must apply for its casino license and the government must grant it; neither step carries a date in the schedule1. The opening is targeted for autumn 20301.
For background on the project and its timeline, see When Will the Osaka Casino Resort Open?. For the rules that apply inside Japanese casinos and integrated resorts, see Casinos and Integrated Resorts in Asia: Who Can Enter, What You Can Play and the Rules Inside, and for gambling in the country generally, see Can I Gamble in Japan?.
