Japan’s Wakayama prefecture pitches new casino after “sloppy” first attempt

The new governor of the Wakayama prefecture in Japan has come forward to put the city up for another bid at building one of Japan’s first casinos. After failing to make a successful bid in 2022, in what was described as a “sloppy” attempt, it is now trying again.

Most forms of gambling in Japan are illegal for citizens, outside of pachislot, pachinko, and horse racing, as well as lotteries. In 2018, the Japanese government put together a program to open three casinos in the country, with different prefectures bidding via proposals.

However, rather than building a dedicated casino, these will be “integrated resorts” (IRs), which Wakayama’s plan includes photos showing the Singapore Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa as examples of how they’d manage this.

Japanese law dictates that casinos can only take up 3% of the maximum space. These IRs would operate similarly to resorts in other areas of Asia. Attractions pitched include sports, esports, wellness retreats, and “Luxurious conference halls”.

Tourists are the primary goal here. Previous plans by Las Vegas Sands to build in Yokohama were cancelled during the COVID pandemic, as visitors the country would be off limits, killing any chance of real money making.

MGM Resorts’ casino in Osaka was pitched in 2020, and is finally being constructed as of April 2025. This follows a similar layout to what Wakayama wants, with shopping and restaurants, a 3500-seat theater, and convention space available.

Interestingly, these IRs will also be open to the Japanese public. However, there are rules in place to curb addiction, detailed in the proposal. Locals can only enter the casino three times in seven days, and a maximum of ten visits in 28 days. There’s also a required ID, a 6000 yen fee ($41.12) to prevent addiction from setting in. On top of this, Japanese nationals will also only be able to use cash.

Of course, to settle the minds of those who have approved the build, Wakayama officials have detailed how they intend to keep citizens protected. Screening requirements before entry, banning of organized crime members, and banning those under the age of 20 from participating are all laid out.

There’s also the taxation kickback proposed as well, with a 15% gaming tax on gross gaming revenue planned. It’s estimated that, based on projections, Wakayama could stand to make 21 billion yen ($143,941,600.74) off of GGR. It also estimates that entry fees could generate 7.3 billion ($50,040,405) if it were to hit around 2,500 nationals entering.

It’ll presumably be some time before the Japanese officials involved with the pitch approve or disapprove, but based on prior reports, this looks to be a far more involved and detailed proposal than in 2022.

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