Operator News
Greece – Mohegan offers five times the minimum tender price for Hellinikon licence
By Phil - 8 October 2020
Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, its Greek partner GEK TERNA, and the consortium behind its bid to bring Inspire Athens to fruition has offered €150m for the 30-year licence needed to operate the 120 table and 1,200 slot casino resort.
Mohegan Gaming is the sole bidder in the much-delayed tender process to build a casino resort on the site of the former Athens airport in Hellinikon with the competing bid from Hard Rock International (HRI) failing to make it through to the next round and subsequently having its appeal rejected.
The casino would be part of an €8bn resort on the site of the former Athens airport in Hellinikon, on the southern coast at Elliniko, overseen by Greek developer Lamda.
Greece’s gaming commission opened Mohegan’s financial bid this week.
Development Minister Adonis Georgiadis said: “The tender had set a minimum price of €30m. Mohegan offered a lump sum of €150m.”
The next part of the tender process will see the contracts signed and then approvals from Greek auditors and parliament.
The plan is to have the casino open by 2024. The resort will consist of a luxury hotel, entertainment venues, convention center, shopping, dining, casino, and a comprehensive mix of premium amenities. The development will help launch a new era of tourism growth and economic prosperity for all of Greece and the entire region.
The iconic design of the building was created by Steelman Partners, an international architectural firm specialising in IRC design and development. The concept form draws inspiration from the architectural history of Greece, particularly from Athenian sculptures and buildings including the Acropolis and the Caryatids.
The Inspire Athens development is estimated to create more than 7,000 jobs in the region during and after construction, including direct, indirect, and induced. The completion of the Integrated Resort and Casino is expected to increase international tourism in the Attica region by at least 10 per cent and contribute millions of euros annually to both the government and the people of Greece in the form of taxes, infrastructure improvement, and public services.
