Tim Alper is a journalist who covers betting news and regulation for CasinoBeats. He joined the CasinoBeats team in May 2025. He reports on breaking news and developments in the world of betting, casinos, and...
Read Full BioDevelopers in the Japanese city of Osaka have unveiled details about the country’s first integrated casino-resort, explaining that it will feature a 27-story building.
The Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that developers say this building will stand at the center of the resort, housing the casino and a hotel.
The resort will also feature an international conference center, an exhibition hall, and another large hotel. The site will also house a ferry terminal.
Work began on the resort last year, on the artificial island of Yumeshima in the Osaka Bay area. Operators say it will open its doors to the public in the fall of 2030.
Osaka: Integrated Casino-Resort to Open in 2030
The site area is approximately 49 hectares, and is adjacent to the site that housed the Osaka-Kansai Expo last year.
The casino at the core will be named the MGM Osaka. Its developer (and future operator) is a new firm co-owned by the Japanese subsidiary of the US casino giant MGM Resorts International and the domestic construction titan Orix.
The developer told Osaka city officials the MGM Osaka will be 126 meters tall, with a basement floor. It will also house a theater.
The Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the blueprints show that, viewed from above, the guest room area of the building appears to curve inward.
“This will give it a shape similar to that of the Bellagio casino, which MGM operates in Las Vegas, Nevada,” the newspaper wrote.
The casino in the main facility will span 23,293 square meters. It will feature approximately 470 table games and 6,400 slot machines.
The conference center will be built over 16.7 hectares and four stories, at a height of 27 meters. It will feature two halls, conference rooms of various sizes, and a parking lot.
Citizens Express Concern
Citizens and anti-gambling groups have expressed concerns about the project. They say that a casino could lead to an increase in gambling addiction.
Osaka Prefecture and the city itself say they are working on “concrete measures to combat gambling addiction.” They said they would reveal details of these measures in the next fiscal year.
Late last year, a leading business leader stated that the integrated resort’s success would be “important for tourism.”
“Osaka’s mission is to create a major entertainment hub,” explained Yasuji Nagai, Vice President of construction giant Obayashi Corporation.
Work on the site officially began in April 2025. But construction has gathered pace since the expo wrapped up in October 2025.
