Hard Rock embroiled in casino development long game
Enters race for new Greek casino that is reduced to 3 US operators
As far as investment decisions on new casino projects go, Hard Rock International seems to play the long game. Still involved in the casino project in Catalunya, Spain, where the ex BNC World mega casino Las Vegas type destination with 6 or more casinos now has the Florida-based company as sole bidder. The company is looking like a bidder for the long running project in the former Athens airport.
We reported back in August that, “Time begins to run out for the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) to launch a casino tender for a casino complex, which should be done by the end of August,” adding that, “for Greece to move ahead with the long-delayed €8 billion ($10 billion) Hellinikon project, on the site of the old Athens airport, the HGC last week announced the launch of a public consultation for licensing terms on this project.”
Since then news arrives that, “negotiations to determine the operator have taken more time than initially anticipated and the final decision will more than likely not be announced until next year. In fact, it could be delayed to the end of March or the beginning of April.”
And so, the long game plays on. And left in the running for the Greek casino are 3 contenders, as Las Vegas Sands and Mohegan Gaming join HRI. France’s Groupe Barriere and two others have left the field of this game that just plays along in a country that is still struggling to recover from a long-lasting financial recession that has spanned decades. Hopefully the Hellinikon Greek casino project will not play for that long.
