New tables would compete with Jupiters, Reef
For the second time, the Great Keppel Island Resort in Queensland has been denied a casino license. Without it, says parliament member Brittany Lauga, it will be impossible to fund the mammoth $2 billion project.
According to sources, current owner Tower Holdings received approval for the casino resort from Australia’s state government, but the government of Queensland has reservations about introducing new gaming tables in the vicinity. A new casino with 35 gaming tables would compete with the existing Jupiters Hotel & Casino and the Reef Hotel Casino. Great Barrier Reef Minister Steven Miles said a new casino could only open if one of the two in operation closed and also surrendered its license.
Lauga contends Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk “is still maintaining the position that the developer has the approvals in place in order to start work and therefore they should start work as soon as they possibly can.
“She has empathy for us because of what we’ve been through from the cyclone but the government maintains its position that there’s no other licenses to grant and she wants to encourage Tower Holdings to proceed with their development.”
The resort as planned would feature an airstrip, a yacht club, a 250-room hotel, 700 villas, 300 apartments, a marina and an 18-hole golf course, along with an environmental park.
