Greek gaming authority chooses Mohegan to operate Athens casino

The Hellenic Gaming Commission announced late Monday that it has selected Inspire Athens —a consortium comprising Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment, GEK TERNA and Steelman Partners— for a new casino on the Athens seafront, part of a long-delayed park project that could see construction begin this year.

Prominent Greek development fund Lamda, operated by the wealthy shipowning Latsis family, has undertaken to build a metropolitan park at the former Athens airport of Hellinikon with an area of two million square meters (200 hectares).

Rival consortium SHRE/SHRI, which includes Hard Rock Corporate, has the right to appeal the decision.

The eight-billion-euro (nine-billion-dollar) project involving residences, hotels, shopping centers and cultural venues, has been delayed for years, but the government is hopeful for a breakthrough this year.

"The goal remains to have bulldozers at Hellinikon in early 2020," Development Minister Adonis Georgiadis said last month.

Lamda says the colossal project is expected to create 10,000 jobs during construction and 75,000 jobs thereafter.

In October, MGE said the casino could increase international tourism in the greater Athens area by at least 10 percent.

Situated eight kilometres (five miles) south of Athens, the former airport of Hellinikon was turned into a sports complex for the 2004 Olympics, but most of the venues built for the Games have rarely been used since.