Metropolis in Slovakia facing the axe?

But not everyone in Slovakia is enthusiastic about the ambitious plans from Hungary and the United States—least of all the people of the capital, Bratislava. While politicians and business leaders are trying to clear the hurdles to the realization of the billion-euro project as quickly as possible, thousands of signatures are being collected in Slovakia against the gambling tourism taking shape in Bratislava. Last week, the Austrian newspaper “Die Presse” reported that 60,000 signatures had so far been collected in Slovakia against the Metropolis project near Bratislava. Church representatives are at the forefront of the opposition, concerned that local young people could be lured into the casinos.

Although Harrah’s Entertainment and Demján stress that the Bratislava hotels in the Metropolis project would occupy a far larger area than the casinos, and that Metropolis is geared more toward conference tourism than gambling, the resort in Slovakia is at risk of being scrapped. Three years ago, Harrah’s Entertainment had already failed to get a similar project off the ground in Slovenia, where the idea of a “European Las Vegas” with luxury hotels and casinos also proved impossible to implement. Finance Minister Ján Pociatek is acting as a mediator on behalf of the government, in an effort to make Metropolis in Bratislava a reality after all.