Integrated Resorts

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.