Over the course of the past few months, Crown Casinos has been wooing Sydney politicians with its plans to bring a new high-roller gambling venue to Sydney in 2019. That is the year when The Star’s exclusivity agreement will have expired, and Crown’s plans aim to ensure that the contract cannot be renewed.

Now, Echo Entertainment is fighting back, announcing its plans to make its own expansions and maintain its exclusivity in the local casino market. The two proposals vary greatly. Crown Casino proposes a high roller gambling venue with no poker machines. The venue focuses on attracting wealthy gamblers from around the world, who are interested in playing poker and table games.

At The Star, the operator will continue offering a myriad of games at a wide range of stakes. Echo Entertainment will expand the property into a casino resort, including a hotel and a wide range of other facilities. This proposal also aims to attract more tourism, but appeals to visitors with a wide range of budgets. The two proposals will face off against one another, when NSW politicians review them.

Premier Barry O’Farrell only wants one proposal to be approved, so it will be a fierce competition between Echo Entertainment and The Star. Crown Casino CEO James Packer believes that he has the competition all locked up. He anticipates that his proposal will be the successful one, because The Star Casino is not well-positioned on the Sydney Harbour.

His high roller casino will be built in an ideal location that will present patrons with beautiful views of the ocean – and Packer believes that this will be an important selling point for NSW politicians. At this point, it could be anyone’s game.

Each proposal presents its own set of benefits and drawbacks. Both Echo Entertainment and Crown Casinos have the potential to increase tourism and benefit Sydney’s economy, but only one proposal will go forward.

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.