No Japanese city has been so excited to win an integrated resort (IR) as Osaka, and now that it knows what it needs to do to win one, it’s working on it’s final plans. Meanwhile, the prefecture of Wakayama is hoping that by planning ahead, it could be ready to secure a solid casino operator partner with bargain prices.

Inside Asia Gaming reports Osaka have prepared a draft for its IR implementation policy. In it, conditions are stipulated for what an operator needs to do to become their partner, and has plans for Request for Proposal process by the end of 2019.

Should the plan go off without a hitch, Osaka hopes June 2020 will see an official partner named, and they still hope to have the IR open in time for the 2025 World Expo. Analysts have previously suggested that such a timeline may be impossible.

Mayor Ichiro Matsui suggested that they’ll leave it up to the operators to suggest a timeline that helps them meet their goals. He also dismissed the idea that the timeline is too short. “No area has received certification from the government so no one can formally announce an exact date,” he said.