Crown and Star still battling over Gold Coast’s second casino

IT’S just about guaranteed to happen.

But who’s going to run it?

A second casino for the Gold Coast is all but a fait accompli.

And, while ASF Consortium waits for the State Government to get its act together, the battle lines have been drawn over just which casino giant will run the new $3 billion facility at The Spit.

Star Entertainment Group owns the city’s only casino, Jupiters, and announced last week that it had won approval to build a $500 million hotel in Broadbeach that would tower some 200m into the Gold Coast skyline.

But ASF director Louis Chien has told News Limited that Crown – which runs casinos in Melbourne and Perth and has a massive project planned for Sydney, was the obvious choice to operate its casino at The Spit.

“If you are privy to some of the market reports they have seen and we have seen, it says there is potential,” Chien said.

“They are a well-known Australian business, they have done well in this space and if there is polenta and there is a market, in growth and tourism then they are fully interested in operating in Queensland.

“They are backing out of Vegas and cutting back on Crown stake holdings to focus more on Australian business and opportunities here, so read into that how you want.”

The plan, which still needs government approval, features a casino, three hotels, restaurants, retail shops and housing, and had even proposed a cruise ship terminal, which was later scuppered.

It is estimated that the project would create some 10,000 jobs and obviously generate millions in tourism dollar.

Mr Chien told the news outlet ASF would make an announcement on the operator of its casino once it had “greater clarity” from the State Government.

Take from it, what you will, but a Star spokesman told News it was focussing on delivering “real economic drivers” for Queensland.

Aside from its hotel plans for Jupiters, Star is also working on purchasing the Sheraton Hotel, on Sea World Drive and will next year begin its monstrous $3 billion resort at Brisbane’s Queens Wharf.

“Our focus is on continuing to deliver world-class tourism and entertainment offerings to Queensland, real economic drivers for the state, at both Gold Coast and in Brisbane,” the spokesman said.

“The $845 million investment at the Gold Coast — which includes the new tower and with the prospect of more to come — sits alongside plans for the $3 billion Queen’s Wharf Brisbane project as funded, rock-solid commitments to Queensland.

“Of course, in relation to our over all Gold Coast master plan, any further developments will be considered with the knowledge we have at the time on competitive and market conditions.”

Star has an $845 million master plan for its Jupiters site, with the newest tower – number three – slated for completion by 2020.