Over the course of the past two years, Las Vegas Sands has been working with Spanish lawmakers to develop a plan for a Las Vegas-style resort in Barcelona. Recently, the project had gained steam, so it comes as a surprise that Las Vegas Sands has now cancelled its plans to open a EuroVegas in Spain. EuroVegas was meant to be a casino complex with twelve resorts, six casinos and a conference centre.
The project’s cost was estimated at more than $30 billion. The initial planning process had taken over a year, as Las Vegas Sands spent valuable time and resources determining whether or not EuroVegas would be a worthwhile investment. In the end, it turned out that the project would not be worth the casino operator’s time or money.
“We have reiterated time and again that our internal development process would dictate the outcome of a proposed development in Spain,” reads a statement from Adelson. “We do not see a path in which the criteria needed to move forward with this large-scale development can be reached. As a result we will no longer be pursuing this opportunity.”
While many responsible gambling advocates were against the project, the news of its cancellation is devastating. Spain’s economy continues to struggle, and EuroVegas would have created 250 000 jobs for locals. In addition to bringing in tourism from around the world, the casino complex would have also made use of local businesses and contractors.
EuroVegas would have been a boon for the Spanish economy – but the project will not go ahead. Instead of moving forward with his EuroVegas plans, Mr Adelson will focus on his Asia casino projects. He states that his plans are to work with Japan and Korea to expand their tourism markets. The operator also owns a casino in Macau, a burgeoning gambling capital which presents room for growth for Las Vegas Sands.