Local residents have expressed concern over a plan by the Embo Group to use the Radisson Hotel for a temporary casino if it is selected by the Eastern Cape Gambling and Betting Board for the Nelson Mandela Bay casino licence. Sun International, which holds the present licence at its Boardwalk Casino as Emfuleni Resorts, and Embo Project Management Group have both submitted bids.

The lack of necessary infrastructure around the hotel to cope with a casino is considered by some councillors to be grounds for not allowing Embo to use the Radisson. The roads would need improvements to take extra traffic. The proposed permanent site for the casino is on waste ground adjacent to the harbour, although present owner Transnet says there are no negotiations ongoing with Embo for the land.

The company claims that other parking space, including at the Boardwalk, would be utilised and customers ferried to the temporary casino by shuttle. Embo is bidding for the licence with a plan to invest R1.8 billion (US$186.7 million) in a hotel casino, cruise ship terminal, ice rink, Imax cinema, retail facilities and restaurants, as well as parking and childcare facilities. Sun International is proposing a R1 billion (US$103.7 million) upgrade to the Boardwalk (E-03.19.09)

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