Spanish Coastal City Huelva Contemplating New Casino
Posted on: September 27, 2022, 10:25h.
Last updated on: September 27, 2022, 11:15h.
Europe continues to be a hot destination for casinos, and Spain’s market continues to grow. Barcelona and Madrid are popular options, but the southern city of Huelva may want in on the action.
A local media outlet reports that Huelva, located in the Andalusian community of Cadiz, is working on a revitalization project. It centers on the Levante Pier and would breathe new life into the coastal city.
The reform project recently took a step forward. In order to expand the leisure offerings in Huelva, and to enhance the concept of a port city, the initiative now includes the construction of a panoramic tower, which could host a hotel and a casino, among other possibilities.
A Long Road Ahead
The Port Authority of Huelva is launching a tender to find a management company to oversee the project, laying out the technical specifications for the remodeling project of the Levante Pier. It will also cover the commercialization of the spaces for business activities resulting from the remodeling, with a price tag of around €1 million (US$961,000).
The specifications specify the technical conditions that the development company must meet. The chosen company will lead the organization, coordination, supervision, and management of the development of all the remodeling actions of the Levante Pier.
Huelva has strict requirements for the project, which is seen as more than just a revitalization effort. The president of the Port Authority of Huelva, Pilar Miranda, emphasized that the endeavor will have an environmental impact that will “alter the characteristics of the front of the estuary.” As a result, the entity responsible for leading the initiative can expect close supervision from local and federal government officials.
Miranda explained that the ambitious project would include 80,000 square meters (861,112 square feet) of usable space. The ultimate goal is to provide an area that can offer leisure options, business spaces, sports centers, cultural activities, and more. Given its waterfront location, sport fishing will also be a part of the equation.
There’s no timeline yet for the completion of this next phase of the project, as it’s only now getting started. As such, it could be a couple of years before it’s ready.
Even then, there’s no guarantee that a casino will be part of the complement. However, since Huelva has broached the subject, operators will likely begin to show interest.
Reinvigorating the Market
Spain has more than 50 casinos, most of which see regular traffic. The country isn’t overwhelmed by gambling, with most studies finding gambling harm of less than 1%.
If the Huelva casino moves forward, the city will join Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Malaga, and Marbella in offering gambling. All have solid markets that continue to provide steady streams of gamblers and revenue.
The province of Alicante hasn’t been as lucky. The Casino de la Vila Joiosa closed its doors in March 2010, but recently came back to life.
In August, gaming operator Casino Mediterráneo presented a proposal to the local city council of La Vila to restart operations at the casino. It didn’t take long for the city to agree, as the property is already operational. That’s good news for the community since, when it was open before, it provided jobs to around 121 people.
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Source: casino.org
