Plans revealed for new Isle of Man casino complex

The venue would offer a new home for the gaming operations of the island’s Palace Hotel & Casino

UK.- Plans will be put forward for a new casino complex in Douglas, on the Isle of Man. The property development company Altostratus Limited will propose the construction of a three-storey entertainment centre, car park and offices.

If the proposal gets the go-ahead, it’s expected that Sefton Group’s Palace Hotel & Casino, which is located on the Douglas Promenade, would become the main tenant, moving its gaming operations from its current location.

The Best Western hotel would remain where it is, but gaming operations would expand to occupy two of the three floors in the new venue. It would also feature a sports bar, conference rooms, events areas and “all the stuff that goes with a modern casino”, Sefton Group chief executive Brett Martin said.

Martin added: “Douglas really as a town has not seen any major commercial developments for quite some time. I think this will probably be the biggest for a number of decades, and in an area that really needs development around the ferry port.”

Altostratus’s proposal also includes offices and a 250-space car park. The proposed one-acre site is located between Fort Street, Lord Street, Walpole Avenue and Victoria Street. It is currently used as a temporary car park. Altostratus will buy the land if planning approval is granted.

A formal application will be submitted later this year. John Bell from project designers ADG Architects said the development would “help link the growing leisure offering on the North Quay with the well-established shopping and business districts”.

The Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown dependency in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland. It has its own gambling regulator, the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission, which has seen interest from gambling firms in moving to the island.

This year the regulator has issued software supplier licences to online gaming technology provider 3 Oaks Gaming and to Hacksaw Gaming.