SRI Lanka is ramping up its entertainment inventory with a casino and gaming resort in a bid to attract the wealthy Chinese and Indian crowd.
Backed by Australian casino mogul James Packer’s Crown and Sri Lankan gaming industry veteran Ravi Wijeratne’s Rank Group, the 36-storey casino cum super luxury resort will occupy a 1.3-hectare space within a special gaming zone in Colombo.
The US$350 million resort is scheduled to open in 2016 and its development is in line with tourism planners’ hopes to make Colombo’s nightlife appear as exciting as that in Singapore, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur.
Vipula Wanigasekera, general manager of the state-owned Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, said MICE and big business delegates needed an atmosphere that not only offers various cuisine but also music, dance and entertainment.
“Gaming is part of the overall package of nightlife. When we bid for MICE events we need to show that there is some form of nightlife for delegates,” he commented.
Rank Group’s CEO, Wijeratne, was unavailable for comment but an interview published in the local Sunday Times last week quoted him as saying the objective of the new resort would be to attract wealthy Indian and Chinese nationals, among others.
Imran Hassan, director – Lanka Exhibition and Convention Services, said that unlike other capitals, Colombo was “dead” and there was a dearth of good entertainment.
“Look at Las Vegas…it’s the largest meeting place in the world because of the entertainment,” he remarked.
