Osaka casino project breaks ground, aiming for 2030 opening

Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura (second from right) attends a groundbreaking ceremony held in Osaka Thursday for an integrated resort including a casino, along with Osaka Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama (right) and Osaka IR representatives Toyonori Takahashi (left) and Edward Bowers. | JIJI

Wires
April 25, 2025

OSAKA – A Japanese company developing an integrated resort including a casino held on Thursday a groundbreaking ceremony on Yumeshima, an artificial island in the city of Osaka, aiming to open the resort around autumn 2030.
As the site is located next to the venue of the ongoing World Expo, the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions, had asked the developer, Osaka IR, to suspend construction during the Osaka Expo. In response, the company enclosed the construction site with a 2-meter-tall wall and soundproof sheeting.

"It's possible to realize the IR project while minimizing the impact on the expo," Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura told reporters, expressing hope that the resort will open in 2030.

The 490,000-square-meter resort will have a casino and other facilities with a total floor space of 770,000 square meters.

The initial investment totals ¥1.27 trillion ($8.88 billion). MGM Resorts International of the United States and Japanese financial services company Orix will be responsible for managing the core functions of the resort.