Aspers wins deal to build Southampton casino

Aspers group, a British developer, specialised in casinos, has won the bid to build a large casino in Southampton, the largest city in Hampshire. The development is proposed for the Royal Pier Waterfront in the city. The Aspers Group managed to beat other big casino developers, including Grosvenor, Kymeira and Global Gaming Ventures.

The agreement Aspers entered with the local council includes £100k, upon receipt of the license, and another £150k as soon as the Royal Pier Waterfront project, which comes in at an estimated cost of £450k, opens in 2021. Furthermore, the local council will receive 2 percent of the casino’s gross gambling revenue, as well an additional annual £50k for a new forum, which addresses responsible gambling and other community issues.

Aspers chairman Damian Aspinall said that he was delighted to have won the bid and to add the Southampton casino to an already large portfolio, which includes London, Milton Keynes and Westfield Startford.

The city council licensing committee is pleased with Aspers offer. Matt Tucker, the chairman of the council’s licensing committee, noted that the casino will be a big part of the redevelopment project at the waterfront at Mayflower Park and Royal Pier. The high competition allowed the city council to identify Aspers as “the operator that we believe can deliver the most.”