Operator News
France – Officials question the future of casino in Grasse
By Phil - 9 October 2023
Closed since the end of August, the casino in Grasse has now seen its gaming licence expire. During the municipal council held in Grasse in the Alpes-Maritimes region, the plight of the casino, which was closed by ministerial decree due to regulatory breaches was again discussed at length. Paul Euzière, President of the Grasse pour Tous group, questioned the advisability of maintaining the casino.
Jérôme Viaud, the mayor of the city, said he deeply regreted the closure, but nevertheless claims to have, on several occasions, drawn the attention of the managers of SAS Victoria, who managed the gaming establishment, to numerous shortcomings, in particular the absence of a restaurant, so that they could take corrective measures.
“It’s deplorable for the employees and for us too,” he said. “I fought to have this casino reopened and for it to be an important element of attraction.
SAS Victoria was placed in receivership on September 20. The judicial administrator in charge of the case launched a call on Monday October 2 for a new owner for the casino.
“In the event of a transfer of activities, this opens an observation period of six months. For our part, we have launched a reflection on the future of the Palais des Congrès, of which the casino is a part,” he said to Journal des Casinos, before reaffirming that the city wants the venue to remain a major entertainment hub.
“We are convinced that we did the right thing by supporting this activity,” added Mayor Viaud. “But we need to carry out a broader and collegial reflection, to decide together about the future.”
Despite everything, decisions will have to be made in the very short term. Indeed, the gaming authorisation, obtained in October 2020, for three years, from the advisory commission for circle and casino games expires this month. The independent Grasse casino is in 199th place in the French casino rankings, with gross gaming revenue of €676,490 during the 2021-2022 financial year.
