As part of a major urban development plan for the City of Tshwane, East of Pretoria, South African casino and hotel operator Sun International, plans to relocate its Morula casino from Mabopane to Menlyn, Tshwane.
The ailing casino will be moved and will become part of the development of the “Green City” project that is currently underway in the Eastern Suburbs of the city. To be known as Menlyn Maine, Sun International has earmarked R3 billion for the project.
Sun International to Revamp its Casino
At the same time as the Morula Casino relocation, Sun International plans to revamp and improve the services offered by the establishment. According to the operator, they are putting in an application to the Gauteng Gambling Board that will allow them to relocate the casino from Mabopane to Menlyn.
”The Morula Casino and Hotel had for some time experienced a significant decline in revenues due primarily to its relatively inaccessible location and the growth of non-casino gambling activities in its catchment area,” said Graeme Stephens, Chief Executive of Sun International.
The new development, Menlyn Maine, will cover 315,000m2 and will include an office park, hotels, a high-end residential section and a shopping mall. Sun International is hoping to develop the entertainment area of the precinct which will be known as “Time Square at Menlyn Maine.”
“Menlyn Maine is the largest mixed-use precinct ever built in Tshwane,” read a statement from Sun International. “If Sun International is successful with its applications to the Gauteng Gambling Board, the new entertainment destination will constitute the most significant investment by the private sector in Tshwane in the history of the city’s entertainment industry.”
Sun International Planning a Five Star Center
Sun International is planning a five star hotel and conference center at the site. It will include 100 luxury rooms, ten suites and an indoor entertainment arena with space for 8,000 seats that will be able to host concerts, sports events and conventions.
The casino will have space for 3,000 slots machines and 100 card tables, although it will open with 2,000 machines and 60 tables. According to Sun International, the facilities and gaming innovations available at the complex will give “residents the opportunity to enjoy the same ease of access and urban facilities found in other South African cities.”
It is expected that the first five years of operation will generate R1.7 billion in gaming taxes and VAT.
