Japan’s 2027 Casino License Race Heats Up as Cities and Developers Show Interest

Japan is expected to hold a second bidding round for casino licenses in 2027, and interest is continuing to grow among prefectures and prospective resort developers. The Sasebo Port International Terminal is pictured in May 2025. Sasebo is among a several cities and prefectures that are reportedly mulling an IR bid for a casino license in Japan. (Image: Shutterstock) Japan’s National Diet authorized up to three integrated resort (IR) casinos in 2018 to grow tourism and diversify the country’s attractiveness for leisure and business gatherings. At the time, Japan was considered the greatest casino market opportunity since the turn of the century with Macau. Japan, however, took years to finalize the regulations governing casinos and the bidding process. The pandemic further dampened interest, resulting in Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, and Hard Rock International, among others, opting not to submit formal bids. MGM Resorts was the lone bidder that was qualified for consideration. MGM Osaka was awarded Japan’s first casino license in April 2023, and the company, along with its local partner, Orix Corporation, broke ground on the ¥1.27 trillion (US$8 billion) investment on Yumeshima Island in April 2025. The IR is slated to open in late 2030. Round Two Interest With Tokyo remaining on the sidelines, Japan’s second bidding window wasn’t initially expected to draw much interest. However, Hokkaido Prefecture reports that three foreign casino operators and 12 domestic companies replied to the government’s recently completed solicitation of interest for a possible IR development. Casino.org previously reported on Hokkaido actively weighing what an IR might look like in its capital of Sapporo. Prefecture officials say Tomakomai and Hakodate have also reached out about hosting a casino resort. Hokkaido did not name the three casino companies that responded to the IR questionnaire. The strengths of the prefecture to host an IR are rich natural and cultural attractions, excellent transportation capabilities, and an untapped market,” the prefecture concluded based on the feedback, as reported by GGRAsia. The Wakayama Prefecture has also stated publicly that it’s reviewing IR feasibility, with Marina City as a preferred destination for development. Sasebo Redo? The only other IR bid that was presented to Japan’s central government in 2023 came from Nagasaki Prefecture. Casinos Austria proposed a more than $3 billion IR at the Netherlands-themed Huis Ten Bosch amusement park, but Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, which handled the 2023 bids, rejected the proposal on concerns that adequate funding wasn’t in place. The Sasebo Chamber of Commerce is reportedly encouraging Huis Ten Bosch to resurrect its IR scheme. Our stance on IR remains unchanged. We should try having an IR to revitalize the city and the northern part of the prefecture,” said Chamber Chairman Takuya Kaneko. “The knowledge and experience accumulated from the IR efforts in the past are invaluable. We have major advantages against other areas.” Sasebo Mayor Daisuke Miyajima agrees, though he supports considering other host locations rather than only Huis Ten Bosch. The post Japan’s 2027 Casino License Race Heats Up as Cities and Developers Show Interest appeared first on Casino.org.