Applications for casino licences for operations in Cable Beach and Exuma are due to be considered when the Gaming Board of The Bahamas sits a week on Friday. After the Board has conducted due diligence, to ensure that the applicants are suitable, a public hearing will be held to consider any objections. A final report will then be sent to the Minister responsible for gaming.

The Baha Mar development at Cable Beach includes Harrah’s Entertainment and Starwood Hotels and Resorts in a US$1.6 billion make over. Baha Mar intends to upgrade the former Crystal Palace Casino, spending some US$4 million on 460 state of the art slot machines and 30 table games. A further US$3 million has been allocated for changes to the floor plan, to result in a 95,000 sq ft casino to be operated by Harrah’s. A new Caesars Resort Hotel will be built.

Pinnacle Entertainment has this year opened a new facility in the Patagonia region of Argentina, its third, and L’Auberge du Lac in Lake Charles, Louisiana. It also has been selected for two major casino projects in the St Louis area of Missouri. The company intends to operate a 5,000 sq ft casino at the Four Seasons Emerald Bay Resort in Exuma, investing US$5 million in the project.

Both the development projects in The Bahamas are contingent on obtaining casino licences. Next week’s Gaming Board meeting will start the approval process, but a time frame for completion has not been given. The final decision on the matter, and the date on which licences could be granted, will be determined by the government. (E-12.01.05)

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