MGM‘s near $10bn integrated resort project in Osaka has the potential to produce north of $4bn in revenue at the start of the next decade, according to an analyst at Morningstar.
This would mean the company would outpace the pre-pandemic $3bn and $4bn of Las Vegas Sands’ Singapore and Venetian Macau facilities, respectively.
Dan Wasiolek, senior equity analyst at Morningstar, told AGB that Osaka was already seeing over 12 million international visits pre-Covid and the new development should attract many of those already visiting, plus new patrons from parts of China.
“This view is buoyed by the resort’s proximity to Osaka’s airport and business centre, which should be enhanced by new transportation infrastructure,” he notes.
The designated location for Osaka IR is a 490,000sq.m plot on the north side of Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay. The casino is set up to open in 2029 or 2030.
Morningstar‘s research team expects there will be strong traffic in the domestic market, “as we believe the dense population and high income of Osaka and other Japanese city residents have an appetite for gaming and non-gaming activities that will be offered at the property. Further, the large size of the property should offer plenty to see and do for a wide range of interests,” the analyst states.
The Osaka IR initially targets JPY520bn ($3.6bn) of revenue annually, mostly from the gaming business and forecasts it will attract six million international tourists and 14 million domestic visitors.
Source: Asia Gaming Brief
