Wilchcombe: Incredible interest in GB casino contract

Tue, Nov 19th 2013, 10:34 AM

Two months before the Memories Grand Bahama Beach and Casino Resort is set to open, the government has still not made a decision as to who will operate its casino.
However, Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe told Guardian Business that the decision will be made by the end of this week.
He said in an attempt to ensure the government finds the right fit, it is carefully vetting additional operators that have expressed interest in operating the casino.
"At the end of the day, we are looking for the best player. While there are still three companies that are being considered, the truth is there are some other people that have come in and you don't want to turn them away," he revealed.
"We are going to look for a casino operator that's going to be comparable with what we have here in the capital and in Bimini. You cannot think about rejuvenating Grand Bahama's economy without ensuring that the gaming group that would be allowed to run the casino in Freeport could bring us the kind of leverage and longevity that we require.
"We want to give Grand Bahama that long-term growth as opposed to the boom bust because we have made mistakes in the first two casinos, the one that exists now and the one before."
Wilchcombe, who also has responsibility for gaming, stressed that the new casino partner has to be in place in time for the hotel's January 16 opening.
He said the number of operators that have expressed interest in the casino has been "incredible" and it continues to increase.
"Recently, we just had another three companies that have showed interest. Obviously there has been a lot of interest but the interest continues to pile on. That has been one of the most incredible things," according to Wilchcombe.
"With Sunwing coming in, you're beginning to see the bookings and the interest is being enhanced. That's why we're seeing one or two other companies that have expressed interest in the casino."
The government had initially indicated that it might wrap up the selection of an operator for the casino by as early as June of this year.
The hotel will come on stream in sync with the start of direct service by Sunwing Travel Group Inc. - which owns Blue Diamonds Hotels and Resorts - from six cities in Canada into Grand Bahama.
And based on current projections, an opening at this time would allow the resort to open at around the same time as the new casino operator takes over the operation of the nearby Treasure Bay Casino.

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