MGM Osaka will begin construction of its main resort structure in April 2025, marking a significant milestone in Japan's first integrated resort casino development. The JPY1.27 trillion (US$8 billion) project is a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Orix Corporation.

Site preparation on Yumeshima Island began in late 2023, with workers installing steel beams extending over 200 feet to reach bedrock, essential for stabilizing the artificial island's foundation. The development spans approximately 52 acres of the 1,000-acre island.

The ownership structure comprises MGM and Orix as equal 42.5% partners, with the remaining 15% distributed among Japanese companies including Panasonic, Kansai Electric, and West Japan Railway.

The resort will feature:

• 2,500 hotel rooms
• 3,500-seat theater
• Convention center
• Shopping mall
• Spa and fitness center
• Casino (approximately 200 table games and 2,000 slot machines)
• Japanese tourism promotion facility

The casino floor will occupy 3% of the resort's total indoor space of nine million square feet, in compliance with Japan's 2018 casino law. MGM CEO Bill Hornbuckle aims to bring MGM's "wow DNA from Las Vegas to Osaka" to create a landmark destination.

Yumeshima Island, originally constructed in the 1980s, had limited development success until now. After failing to secure the 2008 Olympics, the island primarily served as a logistics center. The casino project gained momentum when Japan's National Diet considered casino legalization under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2017.

MGM received its official gaming license in April 2023, becoming Japan's first and only licensed casino resort. The project targets completion by 2030, representing a transformative development for both Osaka and Japan's gaming industry.

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