Not content to rest on the laurels of its pop-up casino in Limassol, Melco is pushing on with more developments in Cyprus. The pop-up, C2, is, incidentally, pretty epic for a temporary setup, covering over 4,500 square metres and able to provide for 1,000 punters at a time.
The mega gambling firm now plans to plant a casino at the airport itself, to convey the international gambler straight into the very lap of the experience they jetted over for, presumably.
The casino, to be based at Larnaka airport, will be based across two areas within the terminal building, both departures and arrivals. The sites are leased for two years, and both sections will be up by the end of the year, according to Melco. They will be much smaller affairs than the C2, hosting perhaps fifty to a hundred gaming machines. There are also reportedly plans for up to three further satellite casinos in the country, which are covered by ICR Cyprus’ thirty-year license, the firm behind the venture.
Melco holds a majority share in ICR Cyprus.
“The first location to be allocated is situated in the departures area, accessible only to departing passengers, whilst the second one is situated in the arrivals area, accessible to the general public … The first location is expected to be ready and operational in the next three months whilst the second one is expected to be ready by the end of the year” stated Melco in a press release on the matter.
There is hope on the island that this whole venture may help to shore up Cyprus’ recovering economic situation. Projections are that the revenue generated from the main resort once opened will constitute up to 4% of the total GDP. This count includes tourism and employment opportunities; there is no clear mention, however, of any potential social costs being factored into the equation.
