Real Madrid: Revamped Bernabéu will boast a casino

Real Madrid are looking into ways of boosting their income to make up for the losses incurred as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic. Remodelling the Santiago Bernabéu stadium will have a key role in getting revenue back to where it was before the Covid-19 crisis. Madrid have considered building a casino inside the stadium.

That is according to reports by Insider Sport and Palco23, who explain that the gaming room where the public can place bets, could generate an additional 120 million euros for Real Madrid every season. It would be one of a number of new features to the redesigned stadium, which is expected to be finished by May 2022. Madrid hopes that their futuristic new ground with all of its new amenities will help boost income by 150 million euros per season.

How Madrid will gain revenue from the new Bernabéu

There will be much more on offer for fans inside the stadium once it is finished. Before the coronavirus crisis, it brought in less than two million euros per year. The new Bernabéu will feature an eSports centre with the latest technology and equipment; another Adidas store similar to the one on Calle Padre Damián, but on the main road, La Castellana, larger spaces to accomodate more visitors; an extension of the Bernabéu Tour with a new zone offering panoramic views of the ground and other features with which Madrid hope to increase their stream of income.

Work on the Santiago Bernabéu began last season and is expected to continue for another year and a half at least. The deadline for completion is October 2022 with the a total cost of 525 million euros, for which Real Madrid took out a loan of 575 million euros which they will start paying back from June 2023, with annual installments of 29.5 million euros until 2049; when it is completely paid off, remodelling their stadium will have cost Madrid almost 800 million euros.