By Mark Murray
A local businessman is moving full steam ahead to ensure that all is in place before seeking approval once more to operate a casino from the Gaming Authority and once that is accomplished, his doors will be opened within 10 days.
By March 17, the owner of Sleepin Hotel plans to once again submit an application to the Gaming Authority seeking approval to operate a Casino at his Church Street establishment. Clifton Bacchus during a media tour of the facility today said the only reason he is moving ahead with his plans to open a Casino is because of a Memorandum of Understanding he has with government. “The MOU stipulates that I could go ahead and do all of these things and get it done and I as a Guyanese…I am very optimistic that everything will go as planned,” Bacchus told the media.
He said his 15 years in the local hotel business is what inspired him to make the 20 million US dollar investment, as well as the bank, personal and other investments. This, he said will be made available to the Gaming Authority.
“I am 100 percent certain no politician has no investment here, I have friends who are politicians and people will say what they want but it is not true,” he clarified.
Already the local businessman plans to create over 300 jobs from the expansion of his business. Most of the persons are already being trained to function at the Casino. Bacchus also confirmed that some of the new employees who will work at the Casino were trained both here and in Suriname. “It take we time to get the machine and the tables and everything in, So we want to get the people them sharp and working,” he noted.
Bacchus said both local and overseas guests will automatically be able to access all the facilities of his hotel which includes the Casino. The Carnival Casino will be managed by the Pasha Global Group from Suriname which develops and operates Hotels and Casinos in several other countries.
Sleepin’s application was submitted to the Gaming Authority in August 2016 and three months later it was unanimously denied by the body for failure to provide documents to support its financial soundness and capability.
According to the Gaming Authority, that requirement is one which is critical when it comes to granting such authorization to operate a Casino.
