Osaka delays IR deadline again

The deadline for proposals for the city’s IR has been put back by a further six months.

Japan.- The deadline for proposals for what could be Japan’s first integrated resort (IR) casino has been delayed once again.

Osaka city authorities have said the request-for-proposal (RFP) phase has been delayed for another six months, which means the selection of the private partner for the resort will be pushed back to 2021.

Osaka’s mayor Ichiro Matsui said the authorities had amended their timetable for the casino resort and were now aiming for opening in the second half of 2027 at the earliest.

It’s not the first time Osaka’s RFP has been moved back. The original deadline was set for April before being pushed back to July when the Covid-19 outbreak began.

Th3 extension came after a consortium led by MGM Resorts International and financial conglomerate Orix Corporation requested a delay due to the impact of Covid-19 on MGM’s casinos in the United States.