Operator News
Germany – Casino revenues in Baden-Württemberg down by over a third
By Phil - 28 September 2020
State-owned casino group Baden-Württembergische Spielbanken, which operates three casinos in Baden-Württemberg has seen its collective gross gaming revenue across venues in Baden-Baden, Konstanz and Stuttgart fall by 34.5 per cent to €24.1m in the first half of the year.
A spokeswoman for Finance Minister Edith Sitzmann said: “The likely annual deficits are, however, covered by the company’s equity.”
She did not want to make a forecast for further business development.
Baden-Württembergische Spielbanken Managing Director Otto Wulferding said of the deficit: “This cannot be made up for later in the year. In 2019, the three casino achieved a record result of €107.2m and transferred €56m to the state budget last year. Because of the Corona crisis, the Baden-Württemberg casinos were closed from March 13. Around 80 per cent of the employees were on short-time work. Almost 600 people were employed at the end of 2019. Since May 25, players can try their luck at the tables again. The slot machines opened a little earlier. It is gratifying that many regular guests have been visiting repeatedly at the beginning of the reopening and thus contributed to the fact that the game business got going again. However, we still miss many visitors from neighbouring countries or trade fair visitors and business travellers.”
The Stuttgart casino has been affected by the fact that many of the nearby entertainment facilities, including theatres, remain closed whilst others such as nearby cinemas have only just reopened.
