Over the course of the past year, we have seen Australian casino operators fighting it out over the chance to open up a gaming resort in Brisbane. The Queensland government has spent this time considering the options, and will have a decision before July. The Australian Financial Review reports that the Queensland government will decide who will receive the casino license before the July budget is announced.
To make this deadline possible, government officials are fast-tracking the assessment of the bids from Echo Entertainment and Crown Resorts. The final bids from these two casino operators will be submitted by the end of May. The bidder who is preferred will be put in Cabinet in June and the decision should be made before July 14 – when the Palaszczuk government introduces its first budget.
At the moment, it seems as though Echo Entertainment is in the lead for the competition over Brisbane’s last casino resort license. This is because the operator already holds a gaming license in the city, operating the Treasury Casino. Should the company win the bid, it will re-locate the Treasury to Queen’s Wharf while turning the existing Treasury casino into a luxury hotel.
Crown Resorts has teamed up with Greenland Holdings Group for its Brisbane casino proposal. If its bid is approved, the property will include signature restaurants and bars and an active waterfront. It will also feature Brisbane’s first 6-star hotel, as well as world-class gaming facilities. Regardless of which operator receives the license, the new Brisbane casino property will greatly benefit the state.
It will create thousands of permanent jobs and bring in millions of dollars in tourism every year to provide a huge boost to the local economy.
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