A Turkish company will build Guyana's first casino by October.

Princess Group Hotels and Casinos will invest US$2 million to build a casino and upgrade a local hotel to a five-star facility, company spokesman Oguz Tayanc said.

The Princess Casino Guyana is expected to create 150 jobs.

The government awarded the company a gambling license earlier this year, despite criticism from churches about encouraging vice.

Guyana officials have said that anyone building a hotel with more than 150 rooms automatically qualifies for a casino permit as the country struggles to attract more tourists. Guyana, a country of 772,000, draws 250,000 people a year.

Tayanc said it might be a challenge to attract more tourists given the absence of international flights to Guyana, and the country's eco-tourism industry is only in its fledgling stages.

Unofficial betting parlours

The Turkey-based company owns hotels in countries throughout the region, including Suriname, the Dominican Republic and Belize.

Guyana has private clubs that run unofficial betting parlours, but this marks the first time the government has awarded a permit.

The casino is expected to open near the capital of Georgetown, and only hotel guests will be allowed to play.

- AP