Inside Asian Gaming

IAG JAPAN JAN 2020 52 Yumeshima Island, the planned site for an Osaka IR 大阪IRの候補地、夢洲 JAPAN W ith Las Vegas Sands, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Wynn Resorts and Caesars Entertainment Corp having all pulled the plug on Osaka, there are now just three operators vying to develop what will almost certainly be Japan’s first IR. MGM Resorts, Galaxy Entertainment Group and Genting Singapore all bring strong track records to the table, albeit with each having enjoyed success in vastly different markets around the world. Likewise, all are considered to have different strengths and weaknesses. MGM boasts a globally recognized brand and has arguably been the most active of any company – publicly at least – in Japan over the past five years. Galaxy is one of the two dominant market leaders in Macau, the world’s casino capital – and has cash reserves most rivals can only dream of. Genting Singapore is one of just two operators in Singapore, a jurisdiction envied by the Japanese for the perceived benefits of its tight regulations. There were in fact seven operators vying for Osaka when the clock ticked over into 2019, but that all