Hard Rock aims to invest 1 B euros in a huge casino in Athens

Executive Director of Hard Rock International, Jim Allen, explained on a press conference that private capital will be around 250 million euros, while the rest of the investment will be funded with loans from Greek and foreign banks.
Leisure and tourist complex planned by Hard Rock includes a casino, hotels, conference centers, restaurants and other leisure installations. "Athens has been a cosmopolitan city for 3,000 years. Our investment will be a real jewel, respecting the culture of the country and involving the local society. We have experience in sucessful projects and we will not disappoint them," Allen said.
The multi-national expects the construction of the complex to generate around 3,000 new employments and other 1,600 once installations are completed.

Hard Rock assures that it may complete the project between 20 and 26 months. "Athens is an international leisure destiny and must offer leisure activities as a casino," Allen affirmed, and also remarked that the goal is to "create an European entertainment and hospitality center in Athens."

The release of the project on the old international airport in Athens-granted in 2014 to a consortium that promised to invest around 6 billion euros for a 15-year period to manage the land, which on the former legislature had been blocked by Syriza government-is one of the main challenges for the new Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The conservative Prime Minister, winner of July elections, seeks to boost the growth of the country, specially thanks to foreign investments, and is sure that just Elinikón release could create up to 60,000 employments.

If the ambitious project is completed, it will have 160 hectares of hotels, commercial centers, sports installations and around 5,000 deluxe houses.
Other 200 hectares will host a park, which will be the greatest of the Greek capital, while the rest of the space will be occupied by streets, squares and other installations of common use.

So far, they have shown interest in acquiring the licitation of the casino is multi-national and the US group Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment.