(AsiaGameHub) –   Japan’s Aichi Prefecture has confirmed it is once again weighing an integrated resort (IR) license bid, after unveiling a Request for Proposals (RFP) on Tuesday.

During the 2023 first round of bidding, when three licenses were up for grabs, the Japanese government only reviewed two submissions. Only one of those won approval: a plan from MGM Resorts International and Orix Corp to construct an IR in Osaka.

The $10.2 billion development, located on Yumeshima Island in Osaka Bay, broke ground in April 2025 and is scheduled to open in 2030. The government turned down a second bid from Casinos Austria and Nagasaki over financing-related concerns.

The second bidding period will launch in 2027, with applications accepted between May 6 and November 5.

Obstacles aplenty to Japan IRs

It has been a decade since Japan legalized integrated resorts, following the passage of the 2016 Integrated Resort Promotion Act. In 2018, the Diet enacted legislation to define official resort zones, kicking off the competitive race.

Major global gaming companies such as Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts, and Melco Resorts & Entertainment expressed interest in the market, which some analysts dubbed “the next holy grail of gaming”. Optimistic legislators hoped the first IRs would open as early as 2025.

Multiple factors slowed this momentum. These included the slow, plodding pace of government deliberations, plus regulations such as caps on gaming space that operators deemed overly burdensome. The final setback came with the emergence of COVID-19, which brought all progress to a halt.

Hopes for a second bidding round were reignited last December, when a new Casino Regulatory Commission held its first meeting. It also helps that Japan’s newly appointed prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, is a strong proponent of IRs.

First elected last October, Takaichi is a devoted follower of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who spearheaded the push for IRs as a way to boost tourism and foreign investment.

Analyst: Chubu Centrair Airport site is ‘near ideal’

Aichi has described its selected development site at Chubu Centrair International Airport as “one of the world’s leading industrial clusters, boasting a diverse array of tourism resources in its surrounding region.” The prefecture’s stated goal is to build an international tourism city centered around MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events).

This location ticks every necessary box, gaming analyst Andrew Klebanow told iGB. “It is practically near ideal,” he stated. “This international airport offers service to roughly 20 regional and global destinations, including Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Philippines.

It’s an eight-minute walk from baggage claim to the casino site. There’s a ferry terminal behind the casino development site, next to an underutilized convention center. Oh, and there are also a couple of thousand hotel rooms that are underutilized.”

Another key advantage: since the site is located at the airport on an artificial island near Nagoya, the prefectural capital, local community opposition is highly unlikely.

Aichi IR could boost visitation, population

Aichi initially considered submitting a bid during the first round, but ultimately pulled out due to COVID-related complications. In February, Governor Hideaki Omura signaled the prefecture’s ongoing interest in the project. Per the Yumiori Shibun, Omura stated that an IR could help counteract the prefecture’s declining population and sluggish tourism figures.

“We need to make the city more appealing to prevent residents from moving away,” Omura said. “It is essential to lure people here from both in and outside Japan.” Chubu Centrair currently can serve 12 million passengers annually. It has set a target of 20 million by 2030.

The local government will evaluate proposals using a 1,000-point scoring system, judging: contribution to international tourism (450 points); economic and social impact (100 points); operational capability and stability (250 points); utilisation of casino revenue (50 points); and mitigation of adverse effects from casino operations (150 points).