Japanese lawmakers have yet to lay down the ground rules for the much awaited opening of the country’s casino but global operators are already starting to jostle for a better market position.

Reuters reported that international casino operators are now on the hunt for local partners and venue hosts in Japan as early as January even though Japanese lawmakers may roll out the ground rules by the end of 2017.

A political source told the news wire agency that there’s a likelihood that Japanese lawmakers may require casino operators to team up with local authorities and bid for licenses to run integrated resorts.

Japan may greenlight two to three casinos, with locations and operators chosen by 2019 and the casinos open by 2023, the source further said.