Hokkaido Reportedly to Skip Japan’s 2027 IR Bid

Hokkaido is reportedly set to sit out Japan’s next application window for integrated resorts (IRs) featuring casinos, scheduled to run from 6 May to 5 November 2027. According to the Hokkaido Shimbun, the prefectural government has concluded that it would not have enough time to prepare and submit an IR District Development Plan before the deadline.

The newspaper reported on Saturday that the decision followed internal discussions within the prefectural administration. No named sources were cited in its account.

Public Input and Regional Economic Benefits

The reported decision comes after Hokkaido published a revised version of its Basic Stance on IR of Hokkaido Prefecture document on 15 October.

According to the newspaper, the prefecture considered public feedback and its internal procedures when assessing whether it could participate in the upcoming application round.

However, skipping the 2027 window does not mean Hokkaido has abandoned its integrated resort ambitions. The prefecture reportedly intends to continue developing the initiative, anticipating that an IR could generate economic benefits across the wider region.

No specific timetable has been established for the remaining planning work or a potential application.

IR Planning Could Take Several Years

The Hokkaido Shimbun reported that preparing a basic concept for the proposed resort could take approximately one year from now. Additional work would then be required to complete the formal application process.

The subsequent statutory stages could take another 18 months. These would include establishing an implementation policy, conducting a request-for-proposal process to select a developer and preparing the IR District Development Plan.

The estimated preparation periods help explain why the prefecture reportedly considers the 2027 deadline unachievable. However, these are estimates of the work required, rather than a confirmed schedule for Hokkaido’s project.

2030 Emerges as a Possible Future Application Window

The newspaper suggested that Hokkaido could potentially seek to participate in a third national application round around 2030. That possibility remains unconfirmed, with neither a formal national timetable nor a commitment from the prefecture to apply in that year.

Japan’s current casino liberalisation framework provides for three integrated resort licences, of which only one has been awarded so far. The approved project is MGM Osaka, which is scheduled to open in late 2030.

Hokkaido Also Withdrew from Initial Application Opportunity

Hokkaido was previously considered a potential location for an integrated resort during Japan’s first application window. In late 2019, however, the prefecture decided not to pursue that opportunity.

The latest reported decision concerns the separate 2027 application period. Hokkaido is again expected to remain outside the upcoming round while continuing work on its longer-term IR plans.