Japan's gambling plan is currently underway, with only Osaka's IR scheme approved by the local government. Recent foreign media reports state that Nagasaki Prefecture, which also submitted an IR plan to the central government of Japan but was ultimately rejected, mentioned that although the Japanese central government has not announced a new round of gambling license application schedule, Nagasaki will still actively seek opportunities and pay attention to the related thresholds.
Nagasaki authorities are currently observing the development of integrated resorts in Osaka and abroad, and are studying how to address the issues that led to the previous application's rejection.
They also pointed out that the Japanese central government has not yet announced the schedule for the next round of applications, and it has not been decided whether to accept applications again.
The report also mentioned that since the failure of the casino application, Nagasaki Prefecture has downsized its integrated resort office, now handling only "legal issues, information disclosure, and research".
Representatives of the central government stated that re-drafting a development plan for an integrated resort for reapplication sets a very high threshold, requiring the prefectural government to again invest significant costs and effort, and the scrutiny by tourism agencies involves a great deal of judgment.
Nagasaki Prefecture had proposed in the first round of gambling license bidding, which ended last December, but its proposal was not approved by the national authorities due to transparency issues in funding. Some Japanese current affairs commentators believe that the clarity and stability of Japanese politics will be beneficial for initiating a new round of gambling applications.
Japan initially expected to establish up to three integrated resorts domestically, but currently, only MGM Osaka has been approved; with a total investment of 1.27 trillion yen (approximately 8.38 billion USD), it is currently under construction, aiming to open in 2030.
