Operator News

Spain – Cirsa wants to invest €9m in Casino Cirsa Granada

By Phil - 29 January 2018

Spanish operator Cirsa Gaming Corporation has announced that it has put forward a bid for the new casino licence in Granada.

If the company is granted the license, then it will make an initial investment of €9m and employ 400 people. The new casino would be located in the Hotel Camino and would be the only casino located in the capital.

The Director of the Casino Division Carles Font said during the presentation that the location would be in keeping with current trends to bring casinos to city centres where there is positive momentum for their economic development. The four star hotel has already seen significant investment over recent years.

Mr. Font said: “Our experience shows us that customers, especially international clients, like to have their accommodation in the same casino building. There is also a series of synergies with the hotel services that add value to our entertainment proposal. The trend is to bring the casinos to central areas where there is really a boost positive of the economic development of the cities.”

The casino will span an area of 1,800 square meters and will house 80 slot machines, 11 tables, an area for poker tournaments and an area dedicated to sports betting. It would also include a restaurant, two bars while parking space would cover 900 square meters. The terraced areas and space for events and shows would cover an area of 1,200 square meters.
Cirsa explained that the opening date would depend on when the winner is announced which could happen around May. In his presentation, Font highlighted the positive impact the new casino on tourism in Granada would have, both in the city itself and the province as a whole.

According to Mr. Font, the casino would increase the number of tourists that visit the city, as well as increase the number of overnight stays in its hotels. He also highlighted the fact that CIRSA casinos offer around 500 shows a year including cultural events, concerts and exhibitions. This would “complement the already rich tourist offer of Granada,” he said. Mr. Font added that should Cirsa win the licence then the casino would be “the only operator considered by Poker Stars to be included in the European Poker Tour (EPT).”

Carlos Duelo, Corporate Director of Institutional Relations at Cirsa confirmed that the CIRSA Granada Casino Foundation would be set up ‘with the aim of promoting and collaborating in initiatives to improve cultural, social and sports facilities or facilities in the districts of La Chana, Bobadilla and of Granada in general to the benefit of the whole province.’

The Foundation will recieve 10 per cent of the operating profit of the casino.

Hotel Owner Juan de Dios Gómez said of the hotel: “It is a place of reference for Granadans and is part of the history of the city. The solidity, solvency and experience of a multinational group such as CIRSA makes this perfect partnership to make the new casino of the province of Granada a reality.”

The details of the public tender for the installation of a new casino in Granada were published in the Regional Government of Andalusia’s Official Bulletin in May 2017 meaning that there will now be six casinos in the region and one in the capital. According to the government, the new casino will generate 200 jobs. The casino may not be more than 30 kilometres from the capital meaning that the casino must “fall into the capital’s zone of influence.”