OSAKA/TOKYO -- Las Vegas-based casino owner MGM Resorts International said recently it would invest in a 1 trillion yen ($9 billion) project together with 10 local companies in Osaka, in its joint bid with financial services group Orix for a license to operate in Japan's metropolis in the west.
By revealing local partnerships under its "Osaka First" strategy before any of its competitors, MGM is hoping to put itself in a leading position in the bid. Osaka, in the western Kansai region, is the first and so far only major city to enter the competition for an integrated resort license in Japan. MGM said its Osaka project will also employ 15,000 people.
