South African based Sun International has announced the opening of the newest addition to their growing casino empire – The Sun Nao Casino in Cartagena along the Caribbean coast of northern Columbia. The casino, located in the upscale Boca Grande region, sits inside the Nao shopping center together with shops, food outlets, cinemas, and a five-star hotel.

Sun’s General Manager for Panama and Columbia Robert Brassai stated that the company chose to expand into Cartagena because of the existing tourism infrastructure as well as the beauty of the location. Regional statistics show that almost three million tourists visited the city in 2014.

The casino cost $30 million U.S., employs 180 people, and offers a total of 220 slot machines and 16 table games. An entertainment lounge, and the exclusive Prive’ VIP Lounge are also located on the property. Sun hopes to recoup their investment within five years.

Sun International operates Five-star hotels and modern casinos worldwide including the Montecello in Chile, and the Ocean Sun Casino in Panama, and is interested in expanding in Columbia. Recently the Chilean casino company Dreams and Sun International merged their operations with Sun International, creating the largest gaming group in Latin America as part of Sun’s expansion plans.