Operator News
Switzerland – With land-based shut for 101 days online gaming saves Grand Casino Luzern
By Phil - 20 May 2021
With the land-based casino not receiving any guests for 101 days, Switzerland’s Grand Casino Luzern Group felt the consequences of the pandemic in 2020 although the successful online casino mycasino.ch created an economic balance.
The land-based casino generated significantly less income in the 2020 financial year with GGR falling by 35.6 per cent to CHF 24.84m. In contrast, the online casino generated gross gaming revenue of CHF69m, up from CHF 8.93m. A total of 117,217 guests visited the offers in Lucerne, almost half of the previous year’s 200,337. Thanks to the strong year of the online casino, consolidated income rose by 75.3 per cent to CHF 99.04m.
The operator said: “The coronavirus pandemic severely affected the traditional casino business and gastronomy of the Grand Casino Luzern Group in 2020. The closings and the pandemic-related operational restrictions gave little planning security. Many employees were on short-time work. However, no employees were made redundant and salaries were 100 per cent offset despite short-time working in the first wave. The online casino established itself as an important and profitable pillar for the Grand Casino Luzern Group in its second year of operation. mycasino.ch has positioned itself within a very short time and by far as the market leader among Swiss online casinos. Despite the rapidly growing online offer, classic casino games remain in demand. The combination of Grand Casino and online casino opens up a wide range of opportunities for joint offers and synergies.”
“The effects of the pandemic on the 2021 financial year are currently difficult to calculate. The further course of the health crisis and the decisions of the authorities will be decisive. The closure of the land-based casino and gastronomy in the first half of 2021 will again leave economic traces. There is greater planning security for the mycasino.ch online business,” it added. “Overall, the Board of Directors is optimistic about the future. This can also be seen in the renovation of the boulevard restaurant: This very popular meeting point on the lake promenade was reopened as Dolce Vita in spring 2021.”
