Even if the Diet approves the Integrated Resorts (IR) Implementation Bill by the middle of this year, the people may have to wait for at least eight years before they could actually play in Japan’s integrated resorts.

Analysts made this bold prediction during the second day of the ASEAN gaming summit in Manila as they weighed in on the future of Japan’s casino industry and what the Japanese lawmakers need to do in order to sustain the interest of investors in the country.

The panelists all believe that Japan may see its first operating integrated resorts in 2026 or earlier, depending on how fast lawmakers will enact the much needed pieces of legislation like gambling regulations, which still have to be put in place.

Japan’s ruling political group Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner Komeito have yet to discuss the nitty-gritty details of Japanese casino industry’s framework, such as the number of cities to host the integrated resorts and the mandatory admission fee for Japanese residents wanting to enter the casinos.