By T. Igoumenidi
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A deadline for the submission of bids in an international tender to award a gaming concession – along with a license for an integrated resort casino (IRC) – for the Helleniko site has been bumped back to Sept. 30, the Hellenic Gaming Commission announced on Thursday, a more-or-less expected development.
The latest extension is the fourth consecutive delay, with the expectation being that it will be the last, given the newly elected Mitsotakis government’s very high-profile pledges to finally get the massive Helleniko investment moving from drawing board to the construction phase.
The extension was judged as necessary, given that three joint ministerial decisions regarding the coastal Athens real estate development project are still pending – a “leftover” from the previous leftist government’s conflicting attitude to the privatization and years of bureaucratic obstacles and legal challenges.
The current center-right government has promised to issue the joint ministerial decisions next month.
Three candidates have surfaced for the concession, namely, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, which is partnered with Athens-based GEK Terna; Hard Rock International, which is currently in talks with Intrakat over a possible partnership ahead of any binding offer, and finally, Malaysia’s Genting.
