Could attract millions of gamblers
A PROPOSAL to site a Vegas-style casino at Shannon airport is being drawn up.
The man behind the proposed new sea-plane service in Limerick and Lough Derg is putting a plan together, which he believes will attract the high-end gambling business, resulting in a jackpot for Shannon.
“I’m not talking about some dreary arcade full of one-armed bandits. I’m talking about a top-end business on a scale that would compete with Vegas and Shannon is the very place to site it,” said Harbour Flights boss, Emlyn Heapes.
“It’s not like we are stuck for space and from a tourist perspective, geographically, it’s in the best location in the world and right alongside an international airport”.
When it was put to him that a similar project was in place for Two-Mile Borris in county Tipperary, he replied that his proposal was much more manageable, financially.
There are a number of possibilities for the venture, including a business conglomerate, and the tourism businessman says he is currently working on an outline plan.
Mr Heapes pointed out that Shannon is “about 2.900 miles from the Eastern United States with its vast population base. New York, with its 12 million population is 2,500 miles East of Vegas, 400 miles further away than Shannon.
“Vegas attracts millions of gamblers every year. And not only from the United States, but from all over Europe, and guess what? Ireland as well”.
The controversial businessman said that it is time “to face reality” in relation to legalised gambling.
“They are going to places like Vegas anyway, so all I am suggesting is that we capitalise on this and build a facility that will attract them to our country. If people are really set against it, we can always do what the Bahamian Government did with their gambling casinos in Nassau. No locals are allowed”.
Mr Heapes said that the casino, properly run and legislated for, would attract millions of gamblers and tourists alike into the Shannon Region.
He added that the airport management would be creating a destination that will attract every airline operator to fly into Shannon, “because they will now have a demand and good reason to come here.
“It would fill every hotel room within a 20 mile radius of the place. It will allow every other tourism provider to generate packages to get the gambler away from the tables and while here, take in some of the best tourist attractions in the country and it will generate million of euro in tax revenue for the Government, and most importantly, sustainable jobs”.
Mr Heapes said that what has to happen is that tourism providers demand that the government put in place the legislation that will allow the construction of this in the Shannon Duty Free zone. “Therefore. instead of all of us demanding that they do something, we will be doing something positive”.
