Genting may not have gotten the Miami casino it has long wanted, but the Malaysian casino operator is no less enthused about the opening of its new “alternative” casino destination: Resorts World Bimini.
Located in the Bahamas and a mere two hours by ferry from Miami, Resorts World Bimini’s casino is scheduled to open its doors this Friday with the ambition of bringing Genting’s world-class casino experience to the Bahamas.
As part of its strategy to bring a chunk of Miami to the casino, Genting is in the middle of preparations to launch a small cadre of cruise ships that will be able to bring as many as 1,500 passengers from Port Miami to the resort casino two hours away and vice versa. As part of the draft port agreement posted on Miami-Dade County’s website, Genting will shoulder the expenses – around $11 million – in the refurbishment of Terminal H in Port Miami, which will then accommodate the Genting ferry that will take tourists to and from Bimini Island. In addition to that amount, Genting will also have to pay the county $7 million a year in rent.
The new ferry will make its maiden voyage to Bimini on Friday and will soon have two scheduled trips to the island every day at $49 a ticket. One leaves at 9 am and returns at 7 pm with the other departing at 9 pm before heading back at 5 am the next day
All things being fair, Genting would’ve preferred to build its casino in the heart of Miami. It had purchased the old Miami Herald headquarters two years ago with the intention of building the world’s largest integrated resort and casino on that plot of land. But state legislature shot that grandiose and ambitious idea down by not making the necessary changes in state gambling laws to accommodate Genting’s plans. The Malaysian operator still plans to build on its acquired land, except that it won’t have any gaming establishments in the area.
That area is now two hours away from Miami, a 10,000-square-feet casino that the operator hopes will become one of the region’s best tourist destinations despite not being as near and as big as some of its regional casino competitors.
It all begins this Friday with the opening of Resorts World Bimini’s casino.
