Integrated Resorts

Casino tourism has become a major driver of global luxury travel, blending gaming entertainment with high-end hospitality, retail and cultural experiences. Integrated casino resorts in major destinations attract millions of international visitors each year, generating substantial revenue for local economies through tourism, employment and infrastructure development. These resorts function as complete entertainment ecosystems, combining casinos with hotels, fine dining, shopping and live performances.

Hokkaido has initiated a new competitive bidding process to appoint a research partner tasked with evaluating the feasibility of developing an integrated resort (IR) featuring a casino. The move signals a strategic effort by the prefecture to position itself for Japan’s next phase of IR approvals. The selected firm will conduct comprehensive market analysis, engage with industry stakeholders, and design a viable development roadmap. With the contract extending until January 2027, the initiative underscores Hokkaido’s intent to make data-driven decisions.

For decades, casino gambling was illegal in Japan, despite the country having one of the world’s largest consumer economies. While forms of betting such as horse racing and pachinko operated legally under specific frameworks, full-scale casinos were prohibited.

That changed in 2016 when Japan passed the Integrated Resort (IR) Promotion Act, formally allowing casino development under strict regulation. The move followed years of political debate over tourism strategy, economic revitalization and social safeguards.