It was back in 1998 that the casino at the Christmas Island Resort closed its doors, and that was due to a downturn in the islands economy which at the time showed no signs of improving, so much so that the property went into liquidation.
However, a couple of years later a local businessman purchased it from liquidators and whilst he didn’t apply for the renewal of its gambling license, he continues to operate the property as a hotel.
What ensured the hotel has remained fully booked ever since then, is the fact that nearby is the immigration detention centre, and as such all of the rooms in the hotel, some 208 of them have been as good as fully booked ever since with contractors and staff using it whilst working at the detention centre.
It has just been announced though that the detention centre will shortly be closing for good, and that has led the current owner to ask the Federal Government whether they will consider re-issuing and reinstating the properties casino license.
What the local community and business leaders on Christmas Island are hoping is that the island will benefit from such a venue in addition to the 208 additional hotel rooms that will become available once the detention centre shuts down and the staff move on.
As the casino part of the venue was simply mothballed after its closure, it wouldn’t take too long for it to become fully operational once again, and that is what many people are hoping will happen to secure jobs for those who are going to be made jobless once the detention centre is closed.
It is always good to hear of long closed casino venues such as the one at Christmas Island Resort being given a second chance of life, and many will be watching its story with interest moving forward.
