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Japan’s 2027 Casino License Race Heats Up as Cities and Developers Show Interest

By jili tutorial · August 31, 2026

Japan’s 2027 Casino License Race Heats Up as Cities and Developers Show Interest

Japan is preparing for a second round of bidding for casino licenses in 2027, and interest among prefectures and potential resort developers continues to grow. The Sasebo Port International Terminal, pictured here in May 2025, is one of several locations reportedly considering an integrated resort (IR) bid.

Background: Japan’s Long Road to Casino Legalization

In 2018, Japan’s National Diet authorized up to three integrated resort (IR) casinos, aiming to boost tourism and diversify the country’s appeal for leisure and business events. At the time, industry observers saw Japan as the most promising casino market since Macau’s boom at the turn of the century.

However, it took years to finalize the regulations governing casinos and the bidding process. The COVID-19 pandemic further dampened enthusiasm, leading major operators such as Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, and Hard Rock International to skip the formal bidding process. MGM Resorts emerged as the sole qualified bidder.

MGM Osaka was awarded Japan’s first casino license in April 2023. The company, alongside local partner Orix Corporation, broke ground on the ¥1.27 trillion (US$8 billion) project on Yumeshima Island in April 2025. The resort is expected to open in late 2030.

Round Two: Renewed Interest from Prefectures and Developers

With Tokyo remaining on the sidelines, Japan’s second bidding window was not initially expected to draw much attention. Yet Hokkaido Prefecture reports that three foreign casino operators and 12 domestic companies responded to the government’s recently completed solicitation of interest for a potential IR development.

Casino.org previously reported that Hokkaido is actively weighing what an IR might look like in its capital, Sapporo. Prefecture officials say Tomakomai and Hakodate have also expressed interest in hosting a casino resort. Hokkaido did not name the three casino companies that responded.

The prefecture concluded, based on feedback, that its strengths for hosting an IR include “rich natural and cultural attractions, excellent transportation capabilities, and an untapped market,” as reported by Asia-focused iGaming news site GGRAsia.

Meanwhile, Wakayama Prefecture has publicly stated it is reviewing IR feasibility, with Marina City as a preferred development site.

Sasebo: A Second Chance for the Nagasaki Bid?

The only other IR bid submitted to Japan’s central government in 2023 came from Nagasaki Prefecture. Casinos Austria proposed a more than $3 billion integrated resort at the Netherlands-themed Huis Ten Bosch amusement park. However, Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism rejected the proposal, citing concerns that adequate funding was not in place.

Now, the Sasebo Chamber of Commerce is reportedly encouraging Huis Ten Bosch to revive its IR plans. “Our stance on IR remains unchanged. We should try having an IR to revitalize the city and the northern part of the prefecture,” said Chamber Chairman Takuya Kaneko. “The knowledge and experience accumulated from the IR efforts in the past are invaluable. We have major advantages against other areas.”

Sasebo Mayor Daisuke Miyajima agrees, though he supports considering other host locations rather than limiting the bid to Huis Ten Bosch alone.

Decades after Macau transformed global gaming, Japan’s high-stakes casino bet is still waiting for its big payoff.