Green light for new Liechtenstein casino

Liechtenstein’s Administrative Court approves Casinos Austria’s plans to build a new casino in the village of Balzers.

Liechtenstein.- The principality’s Administrative Court has given the go-ahead to a planned new casino in the village of Balzers by dismissing a complaint from residents.

The court decided in favour of casino operator Casinos Austria after residents lodged an appeal against the proposed new casino.

The court dismissed the complaint and affirmed that the proposed location of the casino above a Coop store in the village was appropriate.

The casino in Balzers will be Casino Austria’s second casino in the European principality.

Martin Frommelt, Media Manager at Casinos Austria, said the company was satisfied with the decision but that the timeline for construction would now depend on the Coronavirus situation.

The Office for Construction and Infrastructure (ABI) had already granted the casino a building permit, but residents in Balzers formed a “No Casino in the Village” group to seek to prevent the project from going ahead.

Eleven landowners and residents took a civil case against the casino to the district court in September last year. The complaint was rejected, but the group appealed to the Administrative Complaints Commission, and then to the higher Administrative Court.

The judgment can only be challenged now if residents take their complaint higher to the state court. Thomas Geiger, the lawyer representing residents said his clients would make a decision next week at the earliest.

Casinos Austria International already owns one casino in Liechtenstein. The Casino Schaanwald opened in October 2017 and in its last fiscal year it generated €17.1 million in GGR.

A new casino in Balzers would bring the total number of casinos in the principality to five. The first, Casino Admiral, opened in August 2017.

The small territory offers a wide catchment area thanks to borders with Austria, Germany and Switzerland.