Guest Comment ECA

Support during challenging times

By Per Jaldung Chairman European Casino Association

urope’s 1,000 casinos are currently closed. The European Casino Association is devoted to supporting the casino industry through this time of crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In just two months, the licensed land-based casino sector in Europe has gone from being a lively source of gambling activities, entertainment, shows, restaurants, and social events to a complete standstill. The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken by governments to halt its spread have had a devastating impact on our sector and created an uncertain future that must urgently be addressed by regulators, national governments, and EU authorities.

In these dark times, there is also a clear and present risk of a rise in illegal, unlicensed gambling in the online sector. Such gambling operators, with irresponsible business interests, circumvent the public interest and do not apply adequate responsible gambling measures to protect minors, vulnerable individuals and problem gamblers. They also do not pay taxes in the country where the player is located, thus creating an unequal playing field for legal, licensed operators in that country.

The land-based casinos play an important role in the economy, providing work for tens of thousands of people and attracting not only local guests but also tourists from all over the world. These also spend substantial amounts on hotels, restaurants and other amenities outside of the casinos.

The licensed casino industry in Europe is known for its significant contributions to society. Even though the casinos are closed, and the revenue streams completely turned off, the casinos still work hard to help in local communities.

In Sweden, for example, Casino Cosmopol has partnered up with a Skill Shift initiative to offer employees, casino staff are generally very professional and ‘socially intelligent’, an intensive care training program that allows them to assist in the healthcare E

Per Jaldung, Chairman of the European Casino Association (ECA)

sector in Stockholm. Casinos Austria is actively promoting the wearing of masks in support of the corresponding measures introduced by the Austrian government. Casino Monte Carlo SBM is spreading messages of hope all over its social media that draw on Monte Carlo’s famous savoir-faire.

These are extremely challenging times, but we must not lose faith. The ECA is committed to working with all stakeholders to re-establish a strong and sustainable licensed casino entertainment sector in Europe. The ECA will be there to support its members across the continent as they prepare to re-open.