David Walsh, who is known for making millions through the creation of gambling technology and systems, has announced his recommendation to build a casino at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Tasmania. The new gambling venue would be targeted at high-roller tourists and would aim to generate funding for the museum; his proposed name for the venue is ‘Monaco’.
Walsh maintains that his proposed venue would not compete with Wrest Point, Tasmania’s waterfront casino. It is currently the only casino in Tasmania, as the local government has a strict policy against opening up new gambling venues in the state. However, Walsh states that his casino would not be your typical gambling venue. His plans are unlike any other casino proposals that have been presented recently.
The casino will not host any poker machines and it will not have any more than a dozen table games. It will be a very small venue that would only appeal to very wealthy art lovers from around the world. “I would be very happy indeed to have a little high-roller, tourist-only, no-pokie casino to be part of the Mona package,” Walsh says. MONA seems like an ideal place for such an exclusive, tourism-driven casino.
Since the museum opened in 2011, it has helped to improve tourism in Tasmania. It has certainly attracted more visitors to the state and has appealed to a wealthier demographic. As such, Walsh’s idea could be viable. Unfortunately, Walsh is not confident that the government will back his plans. He has stated that the chances of government approval are slim.
It would also be quite difficult for his plans to come to fruition, as Wrest Point has a monopoly on gambling in Tasmania.
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