MGM partnership the lone applicant for Osaka integrated resort

The Japanese casino bidding process continues in earnest, however MGM is still the lone wolf vying for a licence in Osaka.

Osaka Prefecture government announced that April 6 was the deadline for companies to submit a bid on an integrated resort in Japan’s third largest city.

That deadline has come and gone, with MGM Resorts International and partner Orix remaining as the lone party interested in bringing a gaming venue to the city.

Osaka officials previously said other consortiums could enter the fray up to the April 6 deadline.

But local leaders didn’t overtly woo other gaming companies.

That could be a sign authorities there are pleased with the MGM-Orix proposal and ready to move forward.

Orix, a Japanese financial services firm, is slated to be the majority partner.

That defrays some of the costs MGM would encounter if going it alone in Japan.

It also limits the gaming giant’s potential upside in the country.

The company uses a similar structure in Macau, where it controls 56 per cent of its MGM China unit, which was founded by Pansy Ho.

The MGM-Orix group has long been viewed as the leader in the Osaka integrated resort competition, mainly because it’s long been the only contender.

Previously, Asia-Pacific gaming behemoths Galaxy Entertainment and Genting Singapore expressed interest in the Japanese city.

But in early 2020, both operators were out of the Osaka race, instead opting to focus on Yokohama.