Supplier News
France – Joa to invest €5m to make Uriage Casino a regional leader
By Phil - 6 June 2014
French operator Joa Group is revamping its Uriage Casino in Saint-Martin-d’Uriage in the south west of France with a €5m renovation aiming to transform the property into a key regional player in the leisure, catering and events sectors.
The CEO of Joa Laurent Lassiaz group said the operator has been working with Gérald Giraud, Mayor of Saint-Martin d’Uriage, in order to develop tourism through the casino in the spa town.
The expansion work will add a further 1,000 m. sq. to the property along with an additional 20 slot machines, a bar, a restaurant, a conference room with 75 seats and an auditorium with 250 seats.
Mr. Lassiaz said: “Joa’s ambition is not to become the number two or even number one casino on the casino market. Our aim is primarily to change the look on the world of casinos making our institutions genuine leisure destinations. Clearly, we want to dust off the codes of the profession and provide places where one does not just play, but nice places, where we can have a drink, eat, dance, play with family and friends.”
Casino Director Arnaud Loret added: “With these changes, we expect a 10 per cent increase our traffic.”
The opening, scheduled for November 2014, will also see a new entrance created opposite the Grand Hotel.
Joa group is the third biggest operator in the country. It employs 1,500 employees in total and achieved a gross turnover in 2013 of € 200m. It currently operates 2,200 slots, 100 tables and attracts 4m admissions a year. Joa has also won two tenders to build casinos in the Var La Seyne-sur-Mer and the Marne Lake du Der .
