Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki has asked Japan’s central government to examine why the country’s first integrated resort (IR) tender produced only one successful applicant, a signal that regional leaders are already positioning for a more competitive second round.
Tomakomai seeks to revive its bid for an integrated resort and requests Hokkaido’s support
Japan’s initial IR window effectively narrowed to Osaka and Nagasaki, both submitting bids in April 2022. The government approved Osaka on April 14, 2023, creating Japan’s first casino-resort license. By contrast, Nagasaki’s proposal was rejected on December 27, 2023, with reporting pointing to concerns around funding and delivery capacity for an IR-scale project.
Suzuki’s timing matters because the national discussion is shifting toward the next application cycle. Reporting around the draft framework for “Round 2” points to a submission window running May 6 to November 5, 2027, which gives prefectures a runway to build coalitions and de-risk financing.
The competitive angle is clear: Osaka’s project—widely framed around MGM Osaka—broke ground on April 24, 2025, targets an opening around 2030, and is often cited at roughly JPY 1.27 trillion in investment. That scale raises the bar for rival regions: any new bidder must prove it can match Osaka’s capital strength, governance clarity, and political durability.
In practical terms, Suzuki’s call reads like a request for a post-mortem—so the next wave of contenders can compete on a clearer rulebook, not just on ambition.
