Queensland tourism 'bleak' without casino vision: Campbell Newman Brisbane may get a second casino after the state government announces three more licences. Premier Campbell Newman has predicted a "bleak" tourism outlook for the state if it doesn't embrace the integrated resort and casino vision his government has put forward. Together with his deputy Jeff Seeney, Mr Newman announced up to three additional casino licences would be offered by the government - to developers who had the vision to create landmark tourism attractions. Mr Newman said without five or six star resorts and gaming centres to attract the international market, Queensland would be "marginalised." "This is about tourism, about bringing people to our state, bringing people who are only going to come to Queensland if we can have a top offering, it has got to be five/six star and it is about making sure that certain locations in Queensland have that international appeal," Mr Newman said. We have been losing the battle. Our offering has been run down and eroded, we have been complacent for the last 15 to 20 years and you only have to go to some of the places I have mentioned [Melbourne, Singapore, Dubai] to see that we have been left behind. But chief executive of Queensland Tourism Industry Council, Daniel Gschwind, said while he was excited over the potential for new tourism developments, he did not think the industry's future would be bleak without them. "Integrated resorts are definitely part of the tourism future, there is no doubt about that, that is just one part of it though of course," Mr Gschwind said. Queensland's tourism future can benefit from additional casino licences, it will be a better future and more commercially viable future if we have some additional casino licences, but I certainly wouldn't say it is bleak. Mr Newman believes differently. "I think it is bleak, because I think we will be marginalised," he said. It is only for people who are particularly interested in things like seeing the Great Barrier Reef. Many people want to see that, but we won't see the growth and we won't see the expansion of the industry, which we need right now and it is very important too, with employment. But it will take up to six years before any of the new licences are turned into reality. One of them will be available for Brisbane, as part of the CBD government precinct redevelopment. The fight over that licence has widely been reported to be between Echo Entertainment, which owns the nearby established Treasury Casino, and Crown, which is headed by James Packer. Representatives from both, including Mr Packer, have met with the Premier to discuss options for the site. But now that the licence has officially been offered, Mr Newman said those meetings would stop - unless an "extraordinary purpose" arose, in which case "there will be an independent probity auditor, sitting in the room, I can assure you of that." But Crown and Echo may have international competition, with Mr Newman referencing proponents in China, Japan, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, as having expressed interest in a "great investment opportunity." If all three additional licences are awarded, Queensland will have seven casinos and with it will come an increase in government revenue. Last financial year, all gaming - including lotto - netted the government $1 billion. Leader of the opposition of Brisbane City Council Milton Dick accused the government of being addicted to gambling revenue and called on the Lord Mayor Graham Quirk to "do what we can ... to minimise the expansion of the gambling precinct in the CBD." Mr Newman said there had been no revenue predictions made. The state opposition said the casino decision showed the government "has no coherent growth strategy" for the state. Expressions of interest for the Brisbane precinct will open before the end of the year. Cairns and the Gold Coast are tipped as the locations for the second two licences, although the government has not confirmed anywhere other than Brisbane.