Osaka casino opening plans further delayed
Osaka’s plans to open a casino resort have been delayed after a key phase was pushed back by city authorities.
Mayor Ichiro Matsui announced the deadline for Osaka’s request-for-proposal (REP) stage will be put back six months.
The REP process for the integrated resort was initially set for April but rescheduled in March to July, due to the coronavirus pandemic impact in Japan.
That means the facility won’t open until at least the second half of 2027, if not 2028, despite an earlier target of March 2027. The initial idea was to launch the casino before the 2025 World Expo, which will take place in Osaka.
The delay was requested by MGM Resorts International, which was selected as the casino partner with Orix.
The request was due to the travel restrictions in place due to the coronavirus outbreak, despite the state of emergency order being lifted in Osaka on 21 May.
Osaka mayor Matsui said: “I have received a message from the operator asking for a short extension.
“The investment capacity of the operator has taken a blow and we will consider this when we are determining an opening time. I can foresee an overall delay of between one and two years.”
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