CAESARS HOLLAND?
[BIZ: Maastricht, January 25] Apparently the letter of the law is such that Maastricht could grant a permit for a slot arcade without permission from the national government, but this would be far from the integrated resort that is currently on the drawing board. The minister has to be consulted because the Netherlands has a restrictive policy in respect of gambling and has granted a monopoly to Holland Casino - who would cooperate with Harrah’s in the current instance. There is considerable pressure on government from the EU to liberalize gaming laws and the flight of capital to offshore online gambling has already recently caused the Belgian Government to liberalize its national policy. The figures involved: EUR 550m for the project, 4,500 permanent jobs and 5000 temporary jobs, certainly make it an attractive proposition. The spin-off from the central activity of gaming to the bordering areas of entertainment, wellness and gastronomy fit in with earlier economic profiles of the area. The building will clearly have to find its place. The drawings presented showed a large ellipsoid shape that lies in the future.
Harrah’s plans for an integrated resort, with a full-blown casino in Maastricht, stand or fall on the decision of the Dutch Minister of Justice, Mr Donner. A Letter of Intent was drawn up on May 31, 2005 and will now be extended until April 1, 2006. Harrah’s, represented in Maastricht recently by their senior vice president responsible for marketing and product development, Richard Mirman, would like to see a start before the summer. Pre-development is scheduled at 6 to 9 months, with 2-3 years for completion.
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