Hard Rock International Appeals Athens Decision to Go With Mohegan

Hard Rock International, the gaming and hospitality division of Florida’s Seminole Tribe, is contesting the ruling made by the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) of Greece to grant Mohegan Gaming the rights to construct a resort in Athens.

On January 20, the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) declared Mohegan Gaming’s $1.1 billion Inspire integrated resort project the victor for the site of the former Hellenikon International Airport in Athens, Greece. Although Hard Rock, the only other bidder, was given ten days to appeal the decision, the company chose to do so and laid out its case in a statement. They firmly asserted that their proposal was the most suitable for Hellenikon and Greece, backed up with the evidence gathered, and expressed faith in the Greek or European Union judicial systems to recognize that they have been treated unfairly.

Does Prime Minister Mitsotakis understand the appeal from Hard Rock to investigate the claims put forth by the company regarding its experience in Greece? Hard Rock continues to be supportive of the Greek government and has faith that the Prime Minister will take the necessary steps to look into the situation.

Did Greece Confuse Companies?

In mid-January, the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC) surprisingly rejected Hard Rock’s proposal for a casino, citing a lack of sufficient financial and construction capability on the part of Hard Rock. Hard Rock is a major casino operator with locations across Florida, Nevada, New Jersey, California, Iowa, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and the Dominican Republic. Aside from this, Hard Rock has plans to make an entrance into the markets of Illinois, Arkansas, and Virginia, and is actively eyeing one of the three Integrated Resorts (IR) licences in Japan. Upon hearing the HGC’s decision, Hard Rock spokesman Michael Karloutsos was baffled; “It’s preposterous to think Hard Rock is incapable of funding and constructing this project!” He speculates that the HGC may have been confusing Hard Rock with Mohegan, a Connecticut tribe that has seen a sizable decrease in revenue for its Mohegan Sun property over the past 15 years.

Mohegan Gaming has the funds necessary to make its Athens casino come to fruition. Its holdings include casinos in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Washington, New Jersey, and Canada, as well as a $5 billion Integrated Resort that is currently under construction in South Korea. This indicates great potential for the success of the future Athens casino.

Athens Future

The casino license issue at Hard Rock has now gone into arbitration – a process that could take up to a month to resolve. Should the mediaries agree with the HGC decision, Inspire Athens will then be able to move forward. As proposed, the integrated resort would comprise of 1,200 slot machines, 120 table games, a luxury hotel, entertainment venues, convention center, eateries, and many more amenities. Mohegan Gaming, partnering with Greek conglomerate GEK TERNA, is aiming to transform the Hellenikon area into an Athenian Riviera, which will re-shape the contemporary character of Greece. CEO Mario Kontomerkos asserts that the casino complex is anticipated to play a decisive role in that process.