Queensland politicians have been mulling over the idea of possibly opening up a new casino in Brisbane. The new gambling venue has been heavily debated, but local politicians are keen on expanding the state’s gambling market. This week, the Queensland state government has announced that it will be handing out three new casino licenses in total.

Prior to this announcement, Crown Casinos and Echo Entertainment had started competing over the Brisbane casino license. The casino operators were ready to throw down over the chance to expand the city’s gambling market, and now there is room for both companies. State politicians have announced one strict rule for all gaming firms that wish to apply for casino licenses: they cannot be stand-alone gambling venues.

The new casinos will have to be part of integrated resort properties. "Integrated developments, including casinos, have proven their ability to increase visitor numbers and stays elsewhere in the world," says Deputy Jeff Seeney. “They are not just casinos as we have previously seen in Queensland, in fact, the casino is the only part of these major developments which are tourism draw cards in their own right."

While a new stand-alone casino would have the ability to increase gambling revenue in Queensland, the government wants more. Politicians want to offer visitors an all-encompassing entertainment, which will not only attract more tourists but also pique the interest of local residents.

According to Mr Newman, the future of Queensland’s tourism market is ‘bleak’ without integrated resorts – and the new casino licenses will help to boost the industry. Casino firms will have until the end of the year to submit their expressions of interest. We are eager to see which operators decide to apply for a new gambling license in one of Queensland’s major cities.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.