The Cabinet's approval Friday of a bill establishing a framework for integrated resorts, including casinos, was met with praise from Osaka politicians and international casino operators.
Osaka lawmakers and operators met at a related trade show in the city, where expectations are high that it will host one of Japan's first casino resort complexes.
"We haven't seen anything in the Japanese casino legislation that isn't manageable," said Geoffrey Davis, chief executive officer of Melco Resorts & Entertainment Japan Ltd., which expressed an early interest in Osaka and is considered to be one of the leading candidates to operate an integrated resort in the Kansai metropolis.