Melco-Hard Rock gets Cyprus casino license

The company has been selected and will be the first to build a casino resort in the country.

Cyprus.- Melco-Hard Rock Resorts Cyprus has been elected to build the first facility of its type in the Republic of Cyprus. The government approved a measurement in 2015 that stated that companies could build a multi-purpose complex with entertainment options. Melco-Hard Rock will be granted a 15 year exclusivity period.

A consortium of US operator Hard Rock International and Melco International Development from Hong Kong, Cambodia’s Nagacorp, and Bloomberry Resorts from the Philippines were the three candidates to get the casino license. Nagacorp and Bloomberry dropped out the chase, so the joint venture was the only sole candidate.

The casino will have to feature at least 100 gambling tables, more than 1000 slot machines and at least 500 rooms in its hotel. Melco-Hard Rock, which secured a 30 year license, is set to build the facility in Limassol, the second largest urban are in the country. Constructions is set to begin early 2017, in a land which the company already owns.