Operator News
France – Joa group gets 15 year extension to operate casino in Gérardmer
By Phil - 26 June 2023
While the 15-year public service delegation (DSP) concerning the operation of the casino was coming to an end, the municipal council of Gérardmer (Vosges), meeting on June 16, voted the new concession agreement relating to this establishment. Unsurprisingly, the Joa group, the outgoing operator and sole candidate for its own succession, was renewed for a period of 15 years.
However, this new agreement between the Vosges town hall and the Joa group includes some new features compared to the previous one. The annual envelope relating to cultural activities increases to €100,000. As for the rent paid by the operator to the municipality, it has been reassessed, from € 65,000 to €80,000 each year. With regard to the rate of the municipal levy made on the PBJ of the casino, it is set at 15 per cent, the maximum applicable rate. However, during the upcoming period of work, the casino will benefit from a reduced rate of 12.5 per cent of the GGR, announced Stessy Speissmann Mozas, the mayor of Gérardmer, during the municipal council, stressing that the municipality that he administers received 1.263m from the gambling establishment in 2022.
In addition, the Joa group has undertaken to make major investments during this new concession, for an amount of more than 8 million euros, including 3.5 million at very short notice. In particular, an extension of the slot machine park is planned, with the creation of a smoking patio, on the lake side. Similarly, a veranda sheltering the terrace would allow the use of the latter throughout the year. Finally, a “sports bar” should also see the light of day. Regarding the cinema, it should undergo a major facelift, including the replacement of its seats. To this will naturally be added the renewal of the game offer. An investment in people is also in the cards. Indeed, faced with the expected increase in activity at the casino, four additional positions will complement the fifty employees already present within the establishment.
With its 100 slot machines, 21 electronic gaming stations and two traditional gaming tables, the Gérardmer casino reached, at the end of the 2021-2022 financial year, 91st place in the ranking of French casinos, with a GGR of €9.39m.
