Japan’s government has confirmed that local authorities will be able to submit applications for integrated resort (IR) developments between May 6th, 2027, and November 5th, 2027, opening the next phase of the country’s casino resort licensing process.
The decision was approved by the Cabinet on March 10th through an amendment to a Cabinet Order under the IR Implementation Act, according to an announcement by the Japan Tourism Agency. The revised order will take effect on March 13th.
Under Japan’s IR framework, prefectures or ordinance-designated cities seeking to host an integrated resort must jointly prepare a district development plan with a private-sector partner and submit it to the national government for approval by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
The government said the amendment was introduced in order to ‘newly accept applications for IR district development plans’ from local governments.
Japan’s IR legislation allows for up to three casino-integrated resorts nationwide. So far, only one project — the Osaka IR planned for Yumeshima island and led by MGM Resorts International and Orix Corp — has received formal approval. The MGM Osaka project is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in 2030.
The new application window is expected to give other regions an opportunity to re-enter the IR race. Potential candidate areas previously linked to IR development include Nagasaki and Wakayama, although the latter withdrew its bid in 2022 after failing to secure sufficient financing support.
Other locations that have been discussed in the past as possible IR destinations include the Tokyo Bay area and Hokkaido, though no formal plans have yet been confirmed.
The Aichi prefecture has also reportedly allocated some $1.75 million in this year’s budget for an IR-linked tourism feasibility study.
With the national cap set at three IR licenses, up to two additional projects could still be approved in future rounds.
