Supplier News
Mexico – Iberostar sets sights on casino in Mexican Riviera
By Phil - 17 April 2015
There are more signs that the Mexican Caribbean could fast become a major gaming destination with the announcement that Iberostar Hotels & Resorts plans to open a casino on the area.
The company announced that it will strengthen its commitment to the region with the opening of a casino with its new Las Vegas casino. Iberostar Hotels & Resorts reported that the casino will be located in the Iberostar Playa Paraiso hotel. Located on the beach between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, on the Riviera Maya (Mexico), the Iberostar Paraiso Maya hotel is a 5-star All-Inclusive accommodation.
The news comes on the heels of statements made by the President of the Association of Hotels in Cancun and Puerto Morelos in Mexico (AHCYPM), Carlos Gosselin who said that hotels could soon begin to operate casinos as additional feature in order to increase the number of attractions available for visitors to the region.
The Spanish consortium has over 100 hotels worldwide, and its casino will, it is reported, house forty slot machines, an American roulette table and two blackjack tables. It will also offer live sports betting although it will not be operational 24 hours and will not be open to the general public.
According to a company statement, the addition of the casino will be another feature in a resort which will already offers world class cuisine, entertainment for children, sports, live shows and night clubs.
Iberostar Hotels & Resorts is a hotel chain specializing in 4 and 5 star hotels. It includes a wide number of all-inclusive resorts around the world. It is owned by Grupo Iberostar, which also owns Iberostate Golf, Villas & Condos and Iberoservice, its incoming tourism division.
There has been increasing interest in investing in hotels and casinos in tourist hotspots in Mexico with investors and operators pinning their hopes on a new gaming act. Las Vegas type gaming could be part of Mexico’s new Federal Betting and Raffles Law which was approved by the House of Representatives in December last year and will be up for debate in the Mexican Senate alter this year. The new gaming act could see Las Vegas style casino complexes being built in the Riviera Maya, Acapulco and Baja California in order to attract foreign investment into Mexico.
