On September 28, the Osaka casino resort project was officially confirmed to be located on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Konohana Ward, Osaka City. Previously, Osaka’s strongest competitor, Yokohama City, had announced its withdrawal from the competition in August of the same year, while Wakayama Prefecture and Nagasaki Prefecture were deemed less competitive due to their smaller scale. Ultimately, Osaka stood out and secured the casino resort project.

The government ultimately chose the joint venture between MGM Resorts International, the largest resort facility operator in the United States, and ORIX Corporation, Japan’s first leasing company, to develop and operate the Yumeshima casino in Osaka. Osaka Governor Ishin Yoshimura stated at a press conference on the 28th, “An investment of 1 trillion yen in a single project is quite rare in today’s Japan, and we aim to build an Integrated Resort (IR) of the highest global standards.”

It is reported that the initial investment will amount to 1.08 trillion yen, equivalent to ten Shanghai World Financial Centers or 1.5 times the size of Beijing’s Universal Studios. It is expected to attract approximately 20.5 million visitors annually, with an estimated economic benefit exceeding 760 billion yen per year. Additionally, the casino is projected to create about 15,000 job opportunities, significantly boosting Osaka’s economic development.