GGRAsia – Expo boss sees Japan ministers, eyes peace with MGM Osaka

Expo boss sees Japan ministers, eyes peace with MGM Osaka

Sep 02, 2024 Newsdesk Japan, Latest News, Top of the deck

The head of an international body overseeing Expo 2025 Osaka has had meetings with several government ministers in Japan, and now says issues regarding possible disruption from nearby construction of the MGM Osaka casino resort – also on Yumeshima island (pictured in a file photo) – would have to be resolved “at the latest in October”.

Dimitri Kerkentzes, secretary-general of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), was quoted in Friday news reports as having made the observation.

According to the reports reviewed by GGRAsia’s Japan correspondent, Mr Kerkentzes met on Thursday Hanako Jimi, Minister for the World Expo 2025. On Friday he met Ken Saito, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.

As per the news outlets, both meetings addressed the issue of Expo 2025 operating side-by-side with the development timeline of MGM Osaka, an integrated resort (IR) with casino, due to open in 2030 and running on a tight timetable for construction.

Mr Kerkenetzes was cited as saying: “The Expo and the IR construction can co-exist. We can figure out the issue at the latest in October.”

The media reports did not clarify the significance of the October 2024 date. The Expo 2025 event is to be held for 184 days from April 13 to October 13 next year

During MGM Resorts’ second-quarter earnings call at the end of July, Bill Hornbuckle, chief executive and president, had stated that piling works at the MGM Osaka site are expected to start “by May or June” in 2025, with a target date on the opening of the project still set in the “middle of 2030”.

Mr Kerkentzes in his latest reported comments said there were “three key points” to be addressed, in order for “the IR construction to keep going” during the Expo period.

“Those are dust, noise, obstruction to the logistics network,” he stated.

He added: “On August 30, we received three solution proposals from Osaka IR corporation,” the developing entity for MGM Osaka.

Mr Kerkentzes further observed: “There are more to be proposed. We are going to look into them carefully.”

MGM Osaka is a JPY1.27-trillion (US$8.70-billion currently) project between United States-based casino operator MGM Resorts International – the parent of Macau operator MGM China Holdings Ltd – and Japan’s Orix Corp, plus a number of minority local investors.