MGM Resorts International expects to hire 12,000 employees for its upcoming MGM Osaka integrated resort, CEO William Hornbuckle said during a recent US licensing hearing, according to a Friday report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The projection highlights the scale of what is set to become one of the world’s largest casino developments.
The $12 billion project, located in Osaka’s Yumeshima district, is the company’s flagship investment in Japan and its largest expansion in Asia. Hornbuckle told regulators that construction is now “coming out of the ground” after more than 16 years of planning and regulatory procedures.
He noted that the Osaka project represents a major long-term opportunity for the company, emphasizing that MGM will become Japan’s sole casino operator in a market of 120 million people. “It’ll be probably the world’s largest casinos, if not one of,” Hornbuckle said, adding that the resort’s scale requires a workforce of around 12,000 employees.
Hornbuckle also pointed to Singapore’s integrated resort model as a benchmark, saying it provides “great admiration and great hope” for Japan’s entry into the sector.
The Osaka integrated resort—developed in partnership with Japan’s ORIX Corporation—is expected to reshape the region’s tourism and entertainment landscape. Scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2030, the property anticipates attracting around 20 million visitors annually. Key features include luxury hotels, retail, dining, a theater, and a high-end casino floor on the artificial island of Yumeshima, adjacent to the 2025 World Expo site.
The project, valued at JPY1.27 trillion ($8.1 billion), underwent years of regulatory review before receiving approval in 2023. It is expected to generate an economic boost of roughly JPY1 trillion ($6.4 billion) in its first decade of operation.
