MGM Osaka will be Japan’s first integrated resort to open its doors. The centrepiece is a 27-story tower, and it’s paired with a massive casino, 23,293 square meters packed with 470 gaming tables and 6,400 electronic gaming machines. This comes straight from architectural documents shared with The Yomiuri Shimbun.

Japan is building a casino resort, MGM Osaka, on Yumeshima Island in Osaka as a pioneer project. MGM Resorts from the United States, plus ORIX from Japan, run the project together. The total cost of nearly 10 billion USD puts the plan near the leaders in the country for tourism project cost. Japan now gives full approval for a casino resort after the government made laws to control gambling.

Tower and Hotels

The resort will have one 27-storey tower rising 126 metres high.  Design uses the basement floor plus a curved shape, the same design as the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas. Inside sit two hotels with 1,840 rooms for guests. Guests plan to stay in these hotels during their visit to the resort.

Casino Floor Open to Locals and Tourists

Beside the main tower stands a casino floor built to take 6,000 gaming machines plus table games for Japanese and foreign visitors. The project places the casino as a single piece of a larger tourism plan. Resort includes a storey building on 16.7 hectares rising 27 metres with MICE use for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions, plus parking space. Osaka targets business events and international conventions to pull more corporate travellers.

Third Hotel with Cultural Spaces

The plan adds a third hotel in the same development. The height reaches 56 metres over 13 floors above ground, plus one basement floor with 660 rooms for guests. Design creates studios for visitors to experience Japanese cultural activities from the past, like tea ceremonies. The goal sets a mix of comfort of the present time and older Japanese traditions.

Timeline and Completion Goals

Ground preparation for the resort started in late 2023 and officials held a groundbreaking ceremony in April 2024. Developers plan construction to run for several years and aim to finish the full resort in 2030.

• After opening, the resort expects to offer 2,500 hotel rooms.
• The plan includes three hotel brands in total.
• The site has 730,000 square feet of MICE and tourism space.

Space sets focus on Osaka, plus Japan attractions from business facilities to entertainment and culture.

Management and Ownership Structure

MGM ORIX partnership runs a simple structure as MGM Resorts and ORIX each own nearly 40 per cent of project shares and 22 investors take the rest. MGM moved to prepare for Japan operations and named Steve Zanella as President and Chief Operating Officer for Japan in 2023 from Las Vegas.

Turning Yumeshima into a Tourism Hub

MGM Osaka plans to turn the Yumeshima artificial island into a top destination that gathers hotels, gaming areas, cultural activities and business centres in one place. The project links leisure and business use and aims to become a key example of Japan’s new approach to tourism and integrated resorts.

Second IR Plan in Progress

Japan may allow more integrated resorts and the new application period runs from 6 May to 5 November 2027 as cities and prefectures join private developers to submit plans. Regions like Hokkaido and Nagasaki expect to send applications. The Japan Integrated Resorts Act sets a limit and the government may approve up to three resorts in the entire country.

Gambling Rules Remain Strict

Japan keeps gambling rules limited and land-based casinos inside integrated resorts stay legal under strong controls. Online casinos remain banned and Japanese residents cannot play on any licensed online casino in the country. Politicians and industry experts discuss whether laws will change later as interest grows in online sports and casino games, although no official legal plans exist yet.