The Department of the Interior of Generalitat (regional government) granted the installation and operation of the fourth casino in Catalonia to Atzaria group, which gathers four Catalonian companies from the leisure business. This new gambling venue will be installed in Lloret del Mar, Barcelona.

It is the first public tender performed in Catalonia (where there are already casinos in Barcelona, Peralada and Tarragona) to authorize the installation of a casino.

Sources of the general direction of Games and Shows of the council informed that, on top of Atzaria, other companies had presented their proposals; among them, the one presented by Cirsa, another one headed by casinos of Bilbao, San Sebastián and Mallorca; and one leaded by the managers of casino Peralada.

Atzaria group is comprised by chain of Guitart Hotels, Conei Corporación, belonging to businessman Juan Lao and dedicated to the manufacturing and operation of recreational
Machines, slots society MGA-Newpark and Rodríguez Villar group, specialized in the operation of bingos.

General Director of Games and Shows of the Generalitat, Xavier Guitart, explained that the four projects presented to the tender “are magnificent”, and the jury chose unanimously Atzaria project under the name of Gran Casino Costa Brava SL.

He remarked that, with this tender, to be located in the fourth Catalonian casino in Hotel Monterrey of Lloret, “a new casino concept starts, where games and bets will be important but not the central core of the complex, which includes a cultural offer, a convention palace and projects which will have a positive impact in the tourism of Lloret as well as in the whole area”.

The general director explained that the winner group now has a six-month deadline to obtain the license in construction and other 18 months maximum to start the operation of the complex, which will generate 247 direct employments and will suppose an investment of more than 70 million euros.

The winning proposal aims to transform the current Hotel Monterrey of Lloret, belonging to Guitart chain, in a five-star hotel, with 150 luxury suites, parking space for 420 cars and a 32,000 sqm garden.

The design of the complex, which will include a convention palace for 1,100 people, which will be handed over to Lloret council 160 days a year, developed by architect Fermín Vázquez, who created Agbar Tower in Barcelona together with Jean Nouvel.
Besides, the winning group commits to bring a 4% of its benefits to Lloret council.

The winning offer also includes the construction of a convention space for cultural performances and a big restaurant to be in charge of Ramon Freixa. With this tender, Generalitat has finished with the monopoly of Peralada Group, which will continue operating the other three Catalonian casinos, the first one since 1979.