The city of Madrid, the capital of the Spanish peninsula, has always had a great relationship with the world of casinos. Perhaps because in such a large metropolis it is necessary to have all kinds of entertainment. In fact, some of the best casinos in Spain are located on its territory, such as Casino Aranjuez, Casino Gran Madrid in Torrelodones or Casino Gran Vía.
However, there is something that is absent from the Madridians and that constitutes one of the great formulas for the construction of casinos and leisure centers in recent years: the Resort style macro resorts. It will not be because there have been no attempts at agreement but the proposals have not yet convinced local and regional authorities.
Something may have changed now as the Cordish Company, a real estate expert specializing in casinos, is looking to relaunch a plan to improve entertainment in the capital. A conference and congress center is to be built on the basis of the concept Businessbut this also includes leisure, hotels, restaurants and casinos.
In concrete terms, it would take up around 120 hectares of land and there would also be space for natural areas. A lake and large gardens would surround a resort planning a theater hall for all kinds of events, something the rest of the buildings that accompany it would also like to achieve.
The complex also shakes hands with e-sports as Cordish doesn’t want to forget new trends and they would have thought of a pavilion and an outdoor stage where competitions could be held. Electronic sports, along with classic sports betting and online casino games, are undoubtedly one of the new betting industries that are gaining ground among the youngest.
Is the project designed for the capital Madrid? Not quite. Torres de la Alameda would be the chosen destination. The existing industrial and logistic framework in its polygon invites and characterizes any multinational that thinks of expanding its business. It’s true that we don’t have much information about the new casino because the promoter wants to be very careful.
The Autonomous Community of Madrid has rejected other similar high profile projects in the past, including one by Cordish, and doesn’t want this to happen again. He prefers the body to follow its new plan in “small committee‘ and when they give it the green light, present it in great detail.
The regional government is currently examining this option and will provide an answer shortly. Madrid City Council has been the factory’s great ally in the past when it set out to do something even more ambitious in the city. They wanted Spain to become the European cornerstone of a long-term leisure project. So it wasn’t possible.
failed attempts
As mentioned, this isn’t the first time Madrid are considering licensing a macro-complex of this type. Cordish himself came up with a very interesting proposal in 2016 and that he was looking at some pretty impressive numbers. Specifically, 2,200 million euros in investments that would generate more than 7,500 in a five-year period.
This plan also retained the idea of opening a new casino (it included slot machines and poker tables, blackjack or roulette, among others) on the 134 hectares of land that were to be occupied. The American company wanted a huge leisure area that would also include an artificial beach and create more than 50,000 jobs.
Torres de la Alameda companies wishing to join or be involved in any way with the Cordish project were welcome and both City Hall and the City supported the initiative. It was the Autonomous Community of Madrid that questioned the numbers, not believing that developments had gone as expected. He did not find it positive and eventually rejected it.
And this wasn’t the first time something like this had flown over the capital. The pioneer of the idea was the American magnate Sheldon Adelson, who brought the so-called Eurovegas with him in 2012. As president of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, the Dorchester native wanted to replicate some of the Las Vegas casinos in Spain.
And he also wanted to surround it with an immense leisure offering, with hotels, big brand stores and other related businesses that would create up to 260,000 jobs. Too optimistic and too ambitious because Their demands were the main obstacle to the failure of the negotiations.
One of his intentions was to circumvent the smoking ban on his premises, which was unworkable and categorically opposed by public institutions. Adelson stuck with the form, although there were people who chose to back him and who welcomed the change.
A decade later, Cordish has gradually adapted his proposal, taking into account the rejections of his predecessors. However, despite the advantages that these types of centers have in other parts of the world, they will find it difficult to be accepted. See Macao, Singapore or Las Vegas for yourself. A new casino for Madrid seems to have to wait.
