The government of Antigua and Barbuda says casino tycoon James Packer and his new fast friend Robert De Niro have submitted a formal expression of interest in developing a US$250 million resort, possibly with a casino, in the Caribbean island nation.
The announcement comes from Antiguan Prime Minister Gaston Browne, according to an Associated Press report, which cites Mr Browne as saying the two have signed a memorandum of agreement to expand a dormant Barbuda venue known as the K-Club into a five-star getaway under the Paradise Found brand.
Mr Browne said he hopes to conclude the deal within 30 days and for construction to begin within the next 12 months.
Mr De Niro is reputed to be a regular guest at Antigua’s Jumby Bay resort and recently was named by the government as a “special economic envoy” to the islands. Mr Browne said his “celebrity status will attract more American celebrities to Antigua and Barbuda and the Caribbean”.
The prime minister did not say if a casino would be part of the new venture, but the government has been avidly pursuing gaming expansion to entice foreign investment in the islands’ tourism-driven economy. In June, the government concluded a US$740 million deal with China’s Yida International Investment Antigua to build an integrated resort with a casino on Antigua’s Guiana Island and the Crump Peninsula.
Mr De Niro is better known in Asia as the former face of Paradise Group’s flagship Paradise Walker Hill Casino in Seoul (unrelated to the Paradise Found brand), and he and Mr Packer, who heads Crown Resorts, Australia’s largest casino operator, have extensive business ties via Crown’s co-ownership of Macau-based Melco Crown Entertainment.
In January, Mr De Niro’s Nobu restaurant and hotel chain signed on to build its first hotel in Asia as part of Melco Crown’s City of Dreams Manila resort casino slated to open in the Philippines capital this month.
The actor also is starring in a short film promoting Melco Crown’s upcoming Studio City resort casino in Macau. The film is being produced by Mr Packer’s Ratpac Entertainment, which produced a 2013 film titled “Grudge Match” that starred Mr De Niro. The Studio City short is being directed by Martin Scorsese, a close collaborator with Mr De Niro over the years, and also will feature Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Mr De Niro and Mr Packer are also involved in a premium vodka brand, VDKA 6100, that launched last year, according to a report on calvinayre.com.
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