Different countries have taken varied approaches to legalizing and regulating gambling: some impose total bans, others maintain state monopolies, and some only now are opening the door. One of the most effective models in recent years has been the integrated resort (IR): a large-scale leisure destination that includes a casino but is primarily framed as a hotel, conference centre, shopping mall, theme park or entertainment complex.
Definition & Origins
The concept of the IR gained prominence in Singapore, where the first major licences were awarded to destinations like Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa, both opening in 2010. These resorts combined luxury hotels, shopping and entertainment with a large casino, and by 2013 had posted record profits. Because of their success, other countries across Asia and beyond adopted similar strategies to legalize gambling and promote tourism.
Key Jurisdictions in 2025
Australia
In 2018 the state of Queensland invited investors to build an IR on the Gold Coast. One major operator proposed a project with over USD 1.4 billion investment, contingent on a 30-year exclusive licence. The government declined; the project remains stalled as of 2025 due to concerns over monopoly control and tax arrangements.
Cyprus
In 2018 the government approved plans for an IR in Limassol — the Limassol area — developed by the consortium now known as Melco Resorts & Entertainment. With an investment of EUR 550 million planned, the resort was designed to accommodate 500 hotel rooms, 1 200 slot machines and 136 gaming tables. By 2025, the resort (City of Dreams Mediterranean) is operational, marking one of the first IRs in Europe.
Japan
Japan continues to pursue the IR model aggressively. Under its Integrated Resort Implementation Act, the government allows up to three IR licences nationwide. As of 2025, one licence has been granted (to MGM Osaka), and authorities are preparing to accept a second round of applications for up to two more resorts by the end of 2027.
Greece
Greece’s IR project on the site of the former Hellinikon airport in Athens involves a consortium including local and international partners. The planned complex (costing around EUR 8 billion) will include hotels, residences, a marina, and a casino under a long-term licence. Work continues, although timelines have been extended.
Emerging Markets
Other jurisdictions are following the IR path too. For example, Thailand is advancing legislation to allow large “entertainment complexes” with a casino component, targeting implementation by 2026-27. Meanwhile the United Arab Emirates has granted its first IR licence to Wynn Resorts for its Al Marjan Island project in Ras Al Khaimah, expected to open in 2027.
Why Integrated Resorts? The Appeal & Advantages
- Tourism-Driven Model: IRs frame gambling as one part of a broader destination resort, aligning with national tourism strategies and making licencing more politically acceptable.
- Higher Investment, Longer Terms: IR licences often come with large minimum investment thresholds and longer license periods (20–30 years), providing stability and signalling confidence to investors.
- Better Control & Social Safeguards: Because IRs are large, project-based, and high-profile, regulators can impose stricter controls, self-exclusion programmes and residence-based gambling limits, making them more manageable in terms of problem gambling risks.
- Economic Spill-Effects: Beyond gambling, IRs generate jobs in hospitality, retail, entertainment and convention business, which helps governments justify them as economic development tools.
Risks & Considerations
- Social Impact & Local Opposition: In Japan (Yokohama) and elsewhere, public petition drives and opposition campaigns have delayed or challenged IR plans, citing concerns over gambling addiction, money-laundering and local disruption.
- Regulatory Complexity: IR licencing often involves multiple layers – national laws, local municipal approval, environmental/feasibility assessments and large-scale financing commitments.
- Investment Risk: Massive upfront investments required and long lead-times can expose operators and investors to macro risks (economic downturns, pandemics, regulatory change).
- Gambling Harm Potential: Although evidence from Singapore and Macau suggests IRs can maintain low levels of problem gambling when properly regulated, the model still concentrates gambling risk in one large venue and thus demands robust safeguards.
What’s New
- Japan has opened a new application window for up to two IR licences by 2027.
- Cyprus’s City of Dreams Mediterranean is operational and Europe’s leading IR certificate.
- Thailand, UAE and other jurisdictions are advancing IR legislation, signalling the geographical spread of the model.
- IR licence terms continue to favour large scale investment and tightly regulated integrated resorts rather than isolated casinos.
- Regulators increasingly tie IR approval to non-gambling components (hotels, conventions, entertainment), making gambling one element among many, not the sole attraction.
Final Thoughts
The integrated resort model offers a compelling pathway for countries seeking to legalise casino gaming while embedding it into a broader tourism ecosystem. It aligns economic growth, infrastructure development and regulatory oversight in a single large-scale project. By 2025, the model has expanded well beyond Asia into Europe and other regions, and we are likely to see further examples in Latin America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. For governments and investors alike, the IR offers both opportunity and responsibility: the potential for high returns and development — but only if robust regulation, social safeguards and long-term governance are baked into the design from day one.
Read more: Open Banking for Gambling