Mohegan Gaming Wins In Greece
Finally, the long and ending war to build a casino resort at the Hellenikon Airport in Greece is coming to an end. A winner has emerged, with Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment wining the initial right to build a casino resort at the airport in Athens, Greece.
The lone licensed was awarded by the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) to Mohegan Gaming. Mohegan has already started moving its parts by creating a consortium with a Greek construction firm.
“We understood that INSPIRE Athens was meant to symbolize more than an integrated resort,” explained Mohegan Gaming CEO Mario Kontomerkos. “It is our hope that INSPIRE Athens would be the catalyst that sparks the entire development of the Hellenikon area into the coveted Athenian Riviera, forever redefining the modern identity of Greece.”
When the ad for the project (called INSPIRE Athens) was sent out the Greek authorities, there was a call for entertainment venues, luxury hotel, several restaurants, shopping centers, convention centers and a casino.
The War Isn’t Over
Another operator is hoping it can make a last-minute attempt to shift the tide. Hard Rock International put forward a $1.1 billion project.
However reports from Greece suggest that the Hellenikon Gaming Commission rejected Hard Rock’s proposal, citing that the proposal did not show that the company has the financial capacity and experience to handle the project.
Hard Rock’s Greece Spokesperson Michael Karloutsos was quick to call the decision by the HGC highly laughable. However, even though HGC has awarded the license to Mohegan, the biding process is far from over.
Hard Rock can appeal the HGC decision to award Mohegan the license. If they decide to take the appeal stance, the issue would go before an arbitration authority.
