Echo Entertainment and James Packer are currently battling it out to see who wins the rights to build a casino in Brisbane, Australia. Echo plans to construct a Destination Brisbane Consortium at Queen’s Wharf while Packer wants to build a Crown/Greenland casino resort but the final decision rests with the State Government. Both companies continue to throw in numerous perks to help sway the decision their way. CEO Matt Bekier of Echo Entertainment stated that if his company got the approval, he would relocate his company headquarters from Sydney to Brisbane, shifting a rather significant portion of the company’s economic transactions to Brisbane.

The State Government believes that approving the construction of a mega casino in Queens Wharf would be critical in redeveloping this landmark location and giving it a new image. The casino project will create thousands of jobs for residents in the Brisbane area and the taxable revenues generated from the casino will be used to further develop and improve the image of the state.

Both applications are currently being considered and the decision will be made after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s concerns are fully addressed. In a statement, the Premier said “My Government is committed to seeing the redevelopment of that site. However, I do have some issues that I’ve raised with the department and I want them to investigate those issues first before I make further comment.”

The State Government will most likely make a decision in the next 2 months although no official deadline has been mentioned yet.