Eight Hokkaido business groups, including the Hokkaido Economic Federation, have submitted a request to Governor Naomichi Suzuki to move forward with an initiative on Integrated Resort (IR) development.
Their joint request says hosting an IR would boost tax revenue, improve welfare services and create synergies with local industrial clusters. Reports on the development first surfaced last week, with the request now having been formally submitted.
Economic Federation Chairman Hiroshi Fujii emphasized that "IRs will be a catalyst for the Hokkaido economy and will strongly support regional revitalization."
Hokkaido also proposed a new policy framework for an IR, outlining how the prefecture could identify a site, assess the business case and potentially prepare a bid ahead of the next national application window. Still, the local administration has yet to finally confirm whether it plans to submit a bid.
At the same time, two of the three international operators Hokkaido consulted have indicated they would consider taking part in a potential IR development in the prefecture.
Last month, Wakayama Governor Izumi Miyazaki stated he is open to developing an IR at Wakayama Marina City.
The next application round for the right to host a casino resort in Japan will run from May 6, 2027, to November 5, 2027. Under the 2018 law, the national Government can approve up to three integrated resorts.
However, only the Osaka project has been certified to date. It received approval in 2023 and is scheduled to open in fall 2030.
Japan aims to attract 60 million international visitors by 2030. Officials believe that expanding integrated resorts beyond Osaka could help distribute tourism more uniformly across the country.
In July, Konami Gaming became the first manufacturer to submit license applications across all applicable categories to the Japan Casino Regulatory Commission (JCRC)
