Greece to open bidding for Elliniko casino next month

The opening of the bidding process for the casino to be located in Elliniko will open on October 4, the government from Greece announced.

Greece.- The government of Greece has announced that the opening of the bidding process for the Elliniko casino will take place on October 4. Once completed, the development will become the largest private investment in the country.

Development and Investments Minister Adonis Georgiadis said in a radio interview that a separate joint ministerial decision was made in order to not slow down the process. “We chose to proceed with it separately to avoid any further delays,” he said.

Georgiadis explained that other people that are in charge of the casino found multiple pending legal obstacles. He said that they would’ve taken years and that they did it in less than two months.

The operator that wins the bid will be in charge of the creation of an Integrated Resort Casino (IRC) to be built over more than 600k square meters. Moreover, the operator must invest no less than €1 billion in the property.

Hard Rock submits bid

During the last week of August, Hard Rock International announced a binding offer for the Elliniko casino. Chairman Jim Allen said they want to invest €1b in the casino, which will be at the old Athens Airport. The project will be self-funded with €250 million, and the rest will be covered with Greek and foreign bank loans.

The facility will feature a casino, a hotel, a conference centre, restaurants and more entertainment options. In order to develop the venue, Allen said that Hard Rock will respect local culture and partner with local agencies.

If selected, Hard Rock would create 3,000 new jobs in construction and 1,600 in the casino. While it is still uncertain, a possible timetable sets the completion date around late 2021 or early 2022.