Eurovegas facts for kids

Eurovegas was a very large entertainment and hotel complex that was planned for Alcorcón, Spain. It was first suggested in September 2012. The idea was to build many hotels, casinos, and other fun places. However, the project was stopped because the main investor, Sheldon Adelson, and the Spanish government could not agree on certain rules.

What Was Eurovegas?

In September 2012, a businessman named Sheldon Adelson wanted to make a huge investment in Europe. His team had talked with government officials in Madrid and Barcelona. They were looking for a place to build a big resort.

Choosing a Location

Finally, the company Las Vegas Sands Corp. announced that Madrid was chosen. This big resort project was called "EuroVegas." In February 2013, it was confirmed that the town of Alcorcón, which is near the Spanish capital, would be the exact spot. The construction was expected to take about ten years.

What Eurovegas Would Have Included

If it had been built, Eurovegas would have covered about 2000 acres (7.5 square kilometers). It was planned to be finished around 2025 or 2026.

The complex would have had many different parts:

• twelve tall hotels, up to 150 meters (500 feet) high. These hotels would have held thousands of guests.
• six casinos for games and entertainment.
• three golf courses and other sports areas. This included an indoor stadium and a covered tennis complex.
• a large shopping mall with many stores.
• a big convention center for meetings and events.
• many different kinds of restaurants.
• various leisure centres, like a spa and an adventure park.
• an amphitheater for 20,000 people and other concert places.
• parks, including a nature reserve.

Why the Project Faced Problems

The company wanted to start building in 2016. However, reports said that the Government of Spain was not keen on giving them special legal permissions. For example, the company wanted to allow smoking inside the casinos. This was against a rule across Europe that bans smoking in public indoor places. They also wanted their own company rules to replace some Spanish employment laws. These disagreements about rules and laws were a big reason for the project's difficulties.

Eurovegas would have been the third very large resort complex outside the United States. The others are in Macau and Singapore. The construction was planned to be finished by 2022. The official opening was set for 2025 or 2026.

Why People Objected

There was a group called "Stop Eurovegas" that opposed the project. Many trade unions and some politicians supported this group. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid also had concerns. They worried that the project could lead to dishonest activities and create too many temptations for workers.

A main reason why Eurovegas was not built in Madrid was about smoking. The Eurovegas developers wanted to allow smoking inside their casinos. However, the Spanish Gambling Business Owner's Association did not agree. They felt it would be unfair to other businesses that had to follow the no-smoking rule.

Project Cancellation

On December 13, 2013, news reports stated that Sheldon Adelson had canceled his $30 billion Eurovegas project in Spain. The main reason given was that the Spanish government would not agree to the special legal requests. These requests included allowing smoking inside public places and giving long-term guarantees about tax breaks and relaxed employment rules.

The deputy prime minister of Spain at that time, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, explained the government's position. She said it was not possible to create special laws that would protect the project from future rule changes. This is because courts are independent, and laws can change over time.

In Film

Torrente 5: Operación Eurovegas is a Spanish action comedy film from 2014. In the movie, a police officer named José Luis Torrente puts together a team to rob the Eurovegas casino-hotel.

See also

In Spanish: Eurovegas para niños