Awaiting the new chapter of Hard Rock

TarragonaThis March 13th marks exactly two years since, after losing the budget vote, the then President of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, decided to call elections. The accounts for that fiscal year had an insurmountable obstacle: Hard Rock. On one hand, the PSC demanded that he unblock the project if he wanted their votes, but on the other hand, Comuns assured him that if the macro-casino went ahead, they would oppose it. An insurmountable dilemma. Aragonès maintained his commitment to the socialists, and Comuns kept their word and voted against the budget. President Aragonès called early elections and lost them in favor of Salvador Illa. Months later, Illa also needed the support of other parties to be invested as president, and once again, Hard Rock was the bargaining chip: one of the conditions set by Comuns and Republicans was that he eliminate the tax reductions that Artur Mas's government approved in 2014 to lure investors from the Seminole tribe of Florida, owners of Hard Rock. Instead of paying 55% of the taxes levied on gambling, they would only pay 10%.

The tax benefits were eliminated, but is that enough for the developers to back down? The investors' discretion means no one knows the answer to this question for certain, but what is clear is that the Hard Rock saga, which began with Eurovegas at the hands of magnate Sheldon Adelson almost fifteen years ago, is not yet over.

There is a possibility that the promoters of the macro-casino consider that the numbers no longer add up and they back down, and even that they sue the Generalitat and demand compensation for the modification of the agreed taxation. Considering that not a single stone has been laid, it is not at all clear that the administration would have to compensate the developer, but if it came to that, a judge would determine the right to compensation. Another possibility is that they take advantage of the casino license they have and, even though their projected revenue has been reduced, they continue. "As far as is known, there has been no change in position from the investor, and in projects of this magnitude, that maxim often holds true: no news, good news", points out the mayor of Salou, Pere Granados. The mayor is one of the great defenders of the macro-complex because he considers it "a strategic bet for the de-seasonality" of tourism.

The tourism and hospitality sector, as well as the mayor of Vila-seca, Pere Segura, also support it, but he is not as optimistic about the project being unblocked. The Government assures that there is no news, and this very week, the Minister of Economy, Alícia Romero, has emphasized in Parliament that the Generalitat's commitment to the project is "unavoidable".

For Hard Rock to go ahead, the Master Plan must be approved, but before that, the Government must draft a favorable environmental report. The previous environmental report was negative, and since then, it's as if the project had been shelved.

"The president is not interested"

The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, and his party, the PSC, are the main defenders of Hard Rock, but they are not willing to repeat history and end up like Pere Aragonès. The balance of political forces in Catalonia once again harms the interests of the Seminoles, because the socialists continue to need the support of ERC and Comuns to govern. "The president is not interested", opines Eloi Redón, spokesperson for the Aturem Hard Rock platform. A lawsuit filed by this entity, along with Gepec, was what led the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) to overturn the Hard Rock Master Plan in 2020. Those opposed to the project, who criticize its environmental impact and the strategy of growing the country with this type of tourism, are awaiting any movement to file a new complaint with the TSJC, this time to revoke the casino license granted to the developers. To do so, they already have all the arguments prepared and also the money, which they have collected through various donations. "After so much time, we are at a point where we don't know whether to throw a party or file the appeal," Redón jokes.