Mohegan: Hellinikon casino in Greece will be complete in 36 months
The CEO of Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment has said that the Hellinikon casino in Greece will launch in 2025-2026.
Greece.- The Hellinikon casino development on the site of the former Athens airport will be complete in 36 months, according to Ray Pineault, the CEO of Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment (MGE).
The development, which will be the first integrated resort in Greece and Mohegan’s first property in Europe, is slated to launch in 2025-2026, Pineault said.
Speaking at the 6th Delphi Economic Forum, Pineault emphasised that the development was much more than a casino. He also said that it would be a key milestone for Mohegan. The US-based tribal gaming company has several casinos in the US and is developing a resort in South Korea.
He said: “Hellinikon is a project that will change the region. It will attract many visitors on an annual basis and will bring a 10 per cent increase in tourism in Attica.
“In addition, it will generate about 7,000 new jobs and will bring many millions of tax revenue to the Greek State.”
Greece’s Hellinikon casino resort development
Mohegan’s €1.1bn Hellinikon resort project has been given the name Inspire Athens. It entails the wholescale redevelopment of the 1,500-acre site of Athens’ former airport, a location facing the Saronic Gulf that has been left abandoned for almost two decades.
Steelman Partners’ design for the casino is themed on the architectural history of Greece, taking inspiration from Athenian sculptures and buildings, including the Acropolis.
The casino itself will cover 15,000 square meters, which is the maximum permitted by presidential decree.
Inspire Athens is also expected to feature shopping malls, the largest five-star hotel in Europe, a 23,700-square-metre conference centre, a 10,500-capacity sports centre, luxury restaurants and residential accommodation. Its two central towers will measure 200 metres and 100 metres.
The consortium led by Mohegan received final approval for its bid for the project from The Hellenic Gaming Commission in October after Hard Rock lost its appeal against its exclusion from the tender. Mohegan will operate the development under a 30-year licence.
Greece’s parliament ratified a contract in March to partially transfer ownership of the Hellinikon site to Greek developer Lamda. Mohegan has said it will begin construction as soon as it receives construction permits from the Greek government.
