Osaka delays IR process again

Authorities admit there’s no specific deadline for the city’s request-for-proposal (RFP) process.

Japan.- Osaka prefecture in Japan has confirmed the partner selection process for its future integrated resort (IR) has been further delayed with no specific deadline set.

The process came to a halted owing to measures against the Covid-19 pandemic and has since suffered several delays.

The deadline for the request-for-proposal (RFP) process continues to be delayed, and the new date will now be announced once the national policy on IRs is set.

The biding process until now had attracted only two qualified applicants, MGM Resorts International and Japan’s Orix Corp. Both companies still have to go through the RFP due process and executives have been unable to travel to get acquainted with the requirements because of Covid-19 restrictions.

Osaka’s mayor, Ichiro Matsui, said the city would not expect to open the first IR in the second half of 2027 at the earliest.