Operator News
Spain – Opposition to plans for new casino in Granada
By Phil - 27 February 2017
The announcement that Granada could soon be the location for another casino has caused consternation amongst a number of local political interest groups including Vamos Grenada (Come on Granada,) and Izquierda Unida (The United Left) who have publicly come out against the move.
Spokesperson for Vamos Granada Marta Gutiérrez, said at a press conference: “This is not good news at all. We are opposing the construction of a casino because the model of the city we defend is incompatible with this activity.”
Gutiérrez said that instead of authorising a casino that the Minister of Finance and Public Administration of the Andalusian government María Jesús Montero should instead authorise “two full hospitals, rail connections, a city turned towards culture and an economy that generates quality employment. In short, we do not want a casino.” According to Gutiérrez, the arrival of the casino to the province starts from the false premise that it will increase tourism and improve the local economy. “We are doubtful of the tourist interest in the project because it is not the (kind of) tourism we want for Granada. We have to see at what price we want to attract tourists to Granada . . . We think that there are alternative models that can show that Granada has incredible potential such as its sports, sea, mountains, culture, heritage, amongst other things. We have more to offer than a casino and the government has to support this,” she said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the United Left also expressed their dismay at the announcement. “If we are expecting a casino to improve our economic problems, Grenada is going badly. If this option comes and it is an economic activity, go ahead, but it cannot be presented as a great strategy for the local development of Granada.”
The opposition comes in response to the announcement that The Regional Government of Andalusia would issue an order next month authorising a new casino in the city. This will take the number of casinos in the region to six. According to the Minister of Finance and Public Administration of the Andalusia government María Jesús Montero the new casino could create 500 direct jobs and would also serve as a tourist attraction whereby overnight stays would increase. According to estimates the casino could welcome as many as 50,000 visits in the first year of operation. Montero, who met with government delegate in the province Sandra García to analyse the terms of the tender, explained that the gambling sector as a whole represents 1.16 per cent of GDP in Andalusia and generates a total of 8,000 direct jobs.
