Hard Rock International to bid for second Gold Coast casino licence

THE stakes are getting higher for a second casino on the Gold Coast after an iconic American company officially approved a bid for the licence with a $2 billion resort plan including 1000 hotel rooms, shopping precinct and major entertainment centre.

Iconic American company Hard Rock International has officially signed off on a bid for the licence for a second casino on the Gold Coast. Picture: iStock

THE stakes are getting higher for a second casino on the Gold Coast after iconic American company Hard Rock International officially approved a bid for the licence.

Hard Rock’s Tokyo-based Asian board gave the green light to the $2 billion plan after it emerged State Cabinet would likely make a decision before Christmas on whether it supports the second casino licence.

Star to expand

Board grilled

The Gold Coast City Council’s Evandale headquarters is looming as the most likely site, with a bridge linking it to Surfers Paradise. The other site being seriously considered is near Southport Parklands.

Carey Park at Southport could be the site of a second Gold Coast casino if State Cabinet supports the idea. Picture: Glenn Hasmpson

Hard Rock said it would replicate its Barcelona integrated resort on the Gold Coast, with 1000 rooms, a shopping precinct, major entertainment centre and casino.

If the project is cleared by Cabinet, the preferred bidder would face a 12-month probity and regulatory process and the winner selected by Christmas next year.

Completion of the first phase of the project is expected in 2022.

There is tension within Cabinet on whether to approve a second Gold Coast casino licence.

The Star Group is investing about $5 billion in southeast Queensland over the next decade with its Queen’s Wharf project in Brisbane and a $2 billion overhaul of its Gold Coast casino.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday unveiled the latest tower at Star’s plush Broadbeach site.

Because of this massive investment, the State Government is under pressure to stick with a sole casino operator in southeast Queensland.

State Cabinet will likely make a decision before Christmas on whether it supports the second casino licence for the Gold Coast.

Much of the Cabinet debate will centre on whether extra poker machine licences are needed to be approved for a second casino licensee.

Poker machines are an integral part of any casino business model and there is a belief within Cabinet that Queensland has enough poker machines.

In May this year, the Government announced it would be offering casino licences for global tourism hubs in Cairns and the Gold Coast.

Expressions of interest for the Cairns project closed in August.

If Cabinet gives the green light, the Government is expected to announce an expressions of interest for the Gold Coast licence by the end of the year.

Las Vegas-based gaming giant Caesars, the operator of Caesars Palace, is also doing due diligence on a Gold Coast bid.

Plans for a Chinese-backed casino on The Spit were vetoed by the Government earlier this year on mostly environmental grounds.

A spokesman for Hard Rock International said the Queensland Government’s strategy to attract new investment for the state’s tourism industry would boost international visitors and local jobs on the Gold Coast.

“We believe the Government’s Global Tourism Hub strategy is the best way to attract strong international interest to bring new world-class tourism and entertainment drawcards to a world-class destination – the Gold Coast,” the spokesman said.

“We are clearly interested.”

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said last night he supported a second integrated resort for the city.

“It needs to be a significant world-class facility with five and six-star accommodation, international acts and shopping and dining experiences to rival the best casinos in the world,’’ he said.

Hard Rock International said a second integrated resort on the Gold Coast would create thousands of new jobs.

The Spanish project upon which the Gold Coast casino would be modelled is a $3.2 billion integrated resort in the Catalan region.

When it’s finished it will include more than a thousand rooms, a large shopping area, food and beverage and entertainment facilities, and a casino.

Hard Rock employs 40,000 staff at more than 180 cafes, 24 hotels and 11 casinos in 75 countries, Last month, Hard Rock was named, for the fifth consecutive year, land-based operator of the year at the global gaming awards.