Polls Show Osaka Residents In Favor of Integrated Resort

Summary:

• The majority of Osaka voters are in favor of having an integrated resort
• Pro-IR candidates dominated the recent elections which will please IR supporters
• The national government could decide on Osaka and Nagasaki’s IR bids in the coming months

The majority of Osaka voters support the development of an integrated resort with a casino, according to the results of numerous exit polls conducted among voters during the elections on April 9.

Public sentiment regarding Osaka’s IR plan coincides with the results of the recent elections – Hirofumi Yoshimura was re-elected as governor of Osaka prefecture, while Hideyuki Yokoyama won the mayoral race. Both are members of the Osaka Innovation Party. They are also pro-IR.

Majority Voice Support for Osaka IR

The polls, carried out by four Japanese news outlets, asked voters whether they are in favor of having an IR in Osaka. A survey conducted by Asahi Shimbun among voters in the gubernatorial election showed that 53% support the idea, and 45% are against it. Meanwhile, among those who voted in the mayoral election, 55% said “yes”, while 43% said “no”.

A poll conducted by Mainichi Shimbun among residents who voted in the gubernatorial election returned the same results – 53% in favor, and 45% against.

The majority of voters for the Osaka prefecture election also back an IR development in the city, based on the results of a separate survey conducted by Yomiuri Shimbun – 57% support the move, and 41% are opposed to it.

Jiji Press Ltd also carried out a similar poll among voters in the mayoral race. While the results did not show an absolute majority in favor of IR, most of the respondents (43%) said they support the IR plan, with 31% against it.

Huge Win for Pro-IR Candidates

Members of the Osaka Innovation Party were big winners in the April 9 elections. Yoshimura, the head of the party, obtained 2,435,444 votes (73.7% of the total votes) to secure another term as governor. The party also won most of the seats in the prefecture assembly (55 out of 88 seats). Meanwhile, the party’s candidate for Osaka mayor, Yokoyama, was favored by 64.6% of voters in the city.

Osaka submitted its IR proposal to the national government back in April 2022. It is partnering with American gaming operator MGM Resorts International and Japanese diversified financial services firm Orix Corp for the project. The US$9 billion casino resort will be built on Yumeshima Island and is slated to launch in 2029.

Nagasaki also plans to develop an IR at the site of the Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Sasebo. The central government has yet to decide on both bids.