Casino plans for Mijas Hipodromo

THE Manager of the Costa del Sol Racecourse in Mijas has said that several companies are interested in building a casino on the land.

Antonio Maldonado said that talks are being held with the Andalucian Government to create a casino in the centre of the racecourse, where the fountain is located.

He believes this would be a good way to give a new lease of life to the premises. Also on the table are plans to build a luxury hotel.

In the current General Plan for Urban Development (PGOU) there are plans to connect the racecourse area to the A-7 road along the coast at the point where Mijas council wants to build a port.

This, Maldonado said, would make it into a leisure area, where tourists could come straight from the seafront, see a race, play in the casino and stay in a luxury hotel.

Meanwhile jockeys and horse owners complain that they are not paid their winnings and some are refusing to ride.

The race meetings for 2013 should have been planned by now, but the financial problems the course is having have led the mayor, Angel Nozal, to announce that staff will be laid off.  He says there may be no races unless the Zarzuela Racing Administration, which organises racing throughout Spain, plans a better calendar which includes races in July and August.  He is also demanding a bigger share of betting revenues to make the racetrack financially viable.