Mpumalanga Invites Proposals for Fourth Casino Licence The Mpumalanga Economic Regulator, the new authority tasked with regulating gambling in the South African province of Mpumalanga, has invited proposals for a casino licence. THE PURPOSE of this notice is to invite proposals for a casino licence in the Mpumalanga Province, in terms of section 29(1) of the Mpumalanga Gambling Act, 1995 (Act No. 5 of 1995), as amended. The area, development, procedural and other requirements are explained in the Request for Proposal (RFP) document that was released by the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator (“MER”). The RFP also contains the evaluation
criteria that will be applied by the MER to award the casino licence. The MER provides all interested parties, with an opportunity to request clarification on the RFP up to 28 February 2020. The deadline for submission of preliminary proposals is 26 June 2020 from 8:00 to 16:30. Kindly note that preliminary proposal fees must be transferred and cleared to the MER’s bank account by the aforementioned submission date.
The aforesaid RFP can be downloaded from the MER’s website: www.mer.org.za or can be obtained from the offices of the MER, located in First Avenue, White River, Mpumalanga Province. Any queries regarding this matter can be directed to the Chief Executive Officer at telephone number (013) 750 8000, facsimile number (013) 750 8099 or e-mail address ceo@ mer.org.za.
Djibouti Plans Casino on Sea Flower Artificial Island The East-African country of Djibouti plans a massive development to accommodate an influx of tourists and travelers, and as part of this upgrade plans to build an artificial seaisland called the Sea Flower, that will house hospitality offerings and a casino. MINNEAPOLIS-BASED DJR Architecture firm has begun to design an elaborate series of development projects in collaboration with the government of the Republic of Djibouti that, when completed, could amount to more than $1 billion in private and public investment. The projects include a new international airport with passenger terminal and air cargo facilities, the construction of a consolidated government ministry building, the buildout of indoor hydroponic agriculture facilities and the creation of a massive residential and hospitality development on an artificial island similar to the Palm Islands in Dubai. The projects, which are being developed by newly formed Universal Construction Firm and designed by DJR, are part of a long-term strategy Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh has proposed to help position the country as a regional hub for trade and commerce by
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Gaming For Africa
the year 2035. The strategy includes making improvements to infrastructure such as the airport. The partnership comes at a good time for the country, especially after the recent opening of the Djibouti International Free Trade Zone (DIFTZ), the largest of its kind in Africa, said Amareh Ali Said, Djibouti’s commissioner of planning and former minister of budget, in a recent media interview. Djibouti is a small but strategically located country bordered by Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea with access to the Gulf of Aden and beyond that the Indian Ocean. The country serves as a gateway to the Horn of Africa and the wider region of East Africa. But with an area around 8,900 square miles, about the size of New Jersey, the country has limited natural resources. The country also has limited rainfall; Djibouti City, the capital of Djibouti, is recognized as one of the driest cities in the world. The heat and dryness has limited Djibouti’s agricultural potential and made it highly dependent on imports. One of the first phases of the projects has been dubbed the Sea Flower, which when fully built out would likely cost close to $1 billion, planners have projected. The Sea Flower would be an artificial island in the shape of a hand constructed right off the northeastern tip of
the capital city. The site would be developed in phases with plans for an outdoor market, hospitality venues and an array of villas and condos jutting out on the “fingers” with sea canals in between to allow small boats to dock. The president has already signed off on the sale of the nearly 200 acres of space that would become the Sea Flower for an undisclosed price that is in the millions of US dollars. A ribbon cutting is scheduled for mid-February for the beginning of the Sea Flower development, which would need to take stone and volcanic earth from inland to form the island. The Sea Flower will likely take five to seven years to develop. One of the main initial private investors in the Sea Flower project is Minnesota-based Cohesion Group, led by investor Christopher Bock. Bock said he has long dreamed to develop a casino and hotel, and he found the Sea Flower project to be a rare opportunity to build one in a still-underdeveloped area. February / March 2020
