Since their reopening on May 19, things have not been easy for the nine casinos in Loire-Atlantique and Vendée: between the curfew, the introduction of gauges in the first weeks, and the implementation of the pass sanitary this summer. And if customers have returned to these establishments over the months, they are fewer.
“There is a before and an after, and we are still not out of this health crisis, even if we remain optimistic”, underlines Alexandre Demangel, communication manager of the Pornichet casino. On average, casinos estimate admissions are down 10-20% compared to the pre-Covid, and this has been worst when the health pass is introduced. “We took a second slap, the day of the health pass we had a drop of almost 50% in attendance and therefore in gaming commitments”, continues the director of the Saint-Brevin casino, Bruno Tola.
The same goes for the Pins des Sables d’Olonne casino. “Until the health pass, we saw customers coming back little by little, and then there was a real break-up. By the end of July, we had between 50% and 60% of attendance”, explains director Jean-Michel Launay.
We felt that people needed to have fun – Alexandre Demangel from the Casino de Pornichet
The good news, however, is that while fewer customers are present, they tend to spend a little more. “Often they stayed a little longer than usual to spend the evening, dine in a restaurant and then go to the machines or play Poker for example., details Alexandre Demangel. We felt that people needed to have fun, relive and rediscover this place where they used to be. “
Indeed, it is above all the regulars who came to find their slot machine or their favorite poker table. And to adapt to the standards of distancing, many casinos have had to remove a few machines or limit the number of places at the gaming tables, as in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie. “We also took a bite out of the animation space, explains the director, Pascal Le Flohic. We were forced to do away with our dancing evenings which we replaced by concerts. Obviously, we lost on all fronts! “
We lost on all fronts – Pascal Le Flohic, director of the casino of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie
The whole, for an indefinite period. With the health measures that evolve regularly, it is difficult to have a clear vision of the future, confides Bruno Tola, the director of the Saint-Brevin casino. “This is perhaps what will be the most complex. When can we invest so much and redeploy so much so that it regenerates flows?”, he wonders.