Once designed for warehouses, container terminals and even waste management, the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay is becoming the heart of a vast project combining tourism, technology and leisure, with a centrepiece: MGM Osaka, the first integrated resort (IR) including a legal casino in Japan.
A large-scale transformation: from Expo to IR
Yumeshima hosted Expo 2025 on the theme of ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives’. Despite delays, cost overruns and subdued public expectations, the Expo attracted more than 25 million visitors from 158 countries. There were some startling innovations: flying cars, an artificial heart made from stem cells, robots to guide the visually impaired, and so on.
But Expo is only a prelude. The exhibition grounds will not remain empty: they will form part of a technology and tourism hub surrounding MGM Osaka, with commercial infrastructure, leisure facilities, green spaces, restaurants, shops, etc.
MGM Osaka: ambition, scope and challenges
The MGM Osaka project is a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Japan’s Orix Corporation, with an estimated initial budget of around JPY 28 billion (≈ $3.9 billion) for the main IR.
Scheduled to open in 2030, the site will include not only a casino (the first legal one in Japan) but also hotels, conference facilities, shops, restaurants, theatres and entertainment venues. MGM Osaka is targeting some 20 million visitors a year.
Financially, the project relies on debt financing (notably from major Japanese banks such as Mitsubishi UFJ and Sumitomo Mitsui), and its total cost could rise further due to inflation and construction costs.
Related projects: beyond the casino
Around the IR, Osaka is planning a progressive development in several stages to enhance the former Expo area. Among the ideas retained or under discussion are a water park, a luxury hotel, a multi-purpose arena and even a Formula 1 racetrack.
Symbolically, the temporary structure known as the Grand Ring, designed for Expo, will not be completely dismantled. Part of its two-kilometre length will be preserved, renovated and transformed into a 3.3-hectare park.
These developments are intended to create synergy with MGM Osaka. The idea is for the whole hub to become attractive not only to gamers, but also to visitors interested in innovation, culture, entertainment and business.
“The expo site is vast, and synergy with the IR is expected. It is important not to simply end the project with a large-scale development, but to adopt strategies with a medium- to long-term economic outlook,”says Hideyuki Araki of the Resona Research Institute.
Controversy and public perception
Despite the enthusiasm of local authorities, the business community and investors, the project is not unanimously supported by the public.
According to a November 2024 poll, only around 30.6% of Japanese support the idea of an integrated resort with casino, while 36.7% remain neutral. Almost a third are opposed, citing fears about gambling addiction.
Sociology professor Hiroki Ogasawara is one of the most vocal opponents. He criticises the project as being fundamentally driven by greed, desire and the pursuit of economic wealth for a small group.
Osaka governor Hirofumi Yoshimura, on the other hand, is a strong advocate. At the groundbreaking ceremony, he declared that the resort will create an extraordinarily striking space, generating new demand in tourism and business and serving as a catalyst for Osaka’s economic growth.
Economic and institutional stakes
The economic potential of the project is immense. Thousands of jobs are expected, both during construction and operation. Studies estimate that it could transform the economic face of the Kansai region, attracting more foreign investment and stimulating activity in related sectors: hotels, services and retail.
But a number of challenges remain. The first is transport infrastructure. Although access is currently being improved (extension of rail lines, new metro station planned, etc.), connectivity will need to be robust to support the expected flood of visitors.
Then there is the regulatory and social risk: regulation of gambling, prevention of addiction and control of side-effects such as traffic, mass tourism, and pressure on housing or public services. These issues are at the heart of the debate.
Finally, financial management: rising costs, inflation, technical contingencies. Meeting the deadline (opening in 2030) will be a major test of the administrative and collaborative capacity of the public and private sectors.
Outlook: can Osaka become a global model?
If all goes according to plan, Yumeshima could emerge as a global laboratory where tourism, technology and culture come together. The integrated resort model envisages not just a casino, but a whole range of complementary activities: trade shows, innovation, arts, green spaces, Japanese culture and gastronomy.
MGM Osaka is much more than a casino: it is a gamble on the future of Osaka, the Kansai region, and perhaps Japan as a whole. Transforming an artificial island into a global centre for technology, tourism, culture and entertainment, the project embodies an ambitious vision. But the social, economic and logistical challenges remain numerous. Success will be measured in the ability to harmonise all these elements, meet deadlines and convince a population that is still divided.