A gaming company from the United States says it no longer plans to build a casino in Athens.
Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, headquartered in Connecticut, announced on Friday that it was withdrawing from the $1 billion project, opting instead to focus on the construction of a similar project in South Korea.
Mohegan has reportedly transferred its entire stake in the project to Greek construction company GEK Terna, previously a minority owner of the consortium.
“MGE has completed a review of its operations and future commitments in the new context created by the global COVID-19 pandemic and has concluded that we will not continue to pursue the concession rights for the Athens Project,” Mohegan said in a statement.
Mohegan beat out U.S. tribal gaming rival Hard Rock International for the Athens project, winning the right to a casino operating license in October 2020. Hard Rock is reportedly mulling a reentry in Greece following MGE’s exit.
According to reports, the company is close to an agreement with GEK Terna to construct the casino, along with a luxury hotel, entertainment venues, a conference center and retail and eating facilities.
The $1 billion project, called Inspire Athens, is part of a $9 billion rehabilitation of the former Hellinikon Airport. The prokect is expected to generate thousands of jobs and reinvigorate the site of the old airport in Athens’ southern suburbs.
