Operator News
Spain – Cordish plans to sue local Madrid government
By Phil - 26 July 2017
US operator Cordish Companies is planning to take legal action over the local Madrid government that rejected its plans to bring its Live! Casino brand to Madrid.
It claims that it shouldn’t have been invited back to make another proposal if there was never the intention to approve any casino-based blueprint. Cordish argued that the arguments behind the government’s new rejection of the bill were meaningless.
Cordish Companies Director, Joseph Weinberg, said: “We vigorously pursue the exercise of all legal actions that may be in defense of their legitimate interests against the regional government and the responsible persons concerned. If the Community of Madrid does not believe that our project Live! Resorts Madrid sufficiently satisfies the requirements for a CID (Integrated Development Center), license, this decision is equivalent to saying that no project can meet its requirements. The reasons alleged in the rejection by the regional government simply do not make sense and we are sure that the courts will see it.”
Cordish heavily criticised the local government led by Cristina Cifuentes and the Madrid councillor of economics for not participating in the meetings between the government and the company.
He said there was a ‘total lack of transparency from the autonomous administration’, as well as ‘very serious irregularities observed in the processing of the first and second applications.’
Engracia Hidalgo, Madrid Councellor of Finance and Employment, had said however: “The project does not have relevance from a financial, leisure and cultural point of view, and does not have enough impact.”
The local government said that whilst the disappointment for Cordish was understandable, the decision would still stand as the government has every right to reject the proposal.
