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Gran Scala project to combine spy theme park with casinos - in Spain
The government of the Spanish region of Aragon has signed a deal with UK-based company International Leisure Development (ILD) which is intended to lead to what ILD describes as a "City of Integrated Recreation".
The concept involves using a 2,000 hectare site in the Monegros desert to create a tourism destination that, when complete, will combine five theme parks with 32 hotel-casino complexes and provide a range of facilities including golf, racing, shopping, theatre, cinemas, hotels and camping. The project's backers estimate it will create up to 65,000 jobs, and attract 25 million visitors a year when it is complete in 2015 - the first of three phases of construction is due to start in autumn 2008.
"Gran Scala is a hybrid between Orlando and Las Vegas," explained Christian Colus, Regional Sales Manager Spain and France for Aristocrat Technologies Europe, one of the project's partners.
According to Colus, Aristocrat is working with Spanish regulators to devise a regulatory system that will be applied to the Gran Scala. "Currently, Spanish gaming law sets 50 percent taxes, which is not attractive to operators," he says. "A completely new casino-hotel type of law is being drafted to apply just for Gran Scala - we have been talking to operators and looking for something that will be acceptable to the state. We're very close to finalising regulations - hopefully by the end of January."
Five casino groups have signed letters of intent to express their high level of interest, Colus told Casino International.
The final site has not yet been selected from a shortlist of two because ILD wishes to select a location that minimises the project's environmental impact.
