staff, and provide management assistance after opening. We set up operations in Switzerland, Sweden, Spain and Canada. We would then phase-out our presence as each operator built up its own casino expertise within that country. We were very successful building this business in the international market within a short space of time, which I think apart from Holland Casino’s enormous expertise is related to the Dutch having been a nation of traders for centuries. The Dutch business mentality, I feel, is so successful internationally as we are able to connect easily with different cultures.” The international operations of Holland Casino
came to a close in 2004/05, largely due to the issue of reciprocity; if Holland Casino operated in foreign markets, then foreign companies should be allowed to operate casinos in the Netherlands in the view of the Ministry of Justice at that time. Holland Casino reports to both the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Finance and it received advice from the Justice department to withdraw from its international markets. It followed this advice, although today it faces international competition in the form of online gaming sites although they are currently illegal, and therefore unregulated, in The Netherlands. One can imagine how regrettable this must be to an operator renowned worldwide for its responsible gaming programme.
1. Corporate Social Responsibility Taking the broad ranging concepts behind CSR
on board influences all of Holland Casino’s new corporate policies, in consultation with all of its stakeholders. “Holland Casino constantly seeks the best possible balance between profit and social responsibility with a unique combination of gaming, leisure and entertainment. These policies influence the design and deployment of our casinos and the
services we offer our guests; from our role in society, through the way we design and build our casinos, to how we deliver gaming and entertainment to our guests.” From analyzing the detail of everyday guest operations, through employee research and meetings with partners, to challenging the perhaps somewhat stereotypical thinking politicians have gained of the gaming industry from Hollywood movies, books and the history behind our industry, CSR is the cornerstone underpinning the future Holland Casino.
2. New Mission During 2009 Holland Casino underwent a major reorganization that saw it move away from its old mission of providing ‘Gaming & Glamour with Pleasure’. This switch placed the guest more firmly at the heart of its corporate policies. In explaining the thinking behind this switch, Mr. Goudsmit commented that: “Today, Holland Casino’s mission is to ‘Share the Joy of Playful living’. This mission is inspired by Johan Huizinga’s thoughts about ‘Homo Ludens’. Huizinga, who was a Dutch historian, noted that everyone has a ‘Homo Ludens’, or ‘Playing Man’, inside. In 1938 Huizinga developed a theory which encompassed the importance of the play element to culture and society. He concluded that through playfulness societies emerge, and constantly develop. Living together means playing together and vice versa, according to Huizinga. His theory received a Nobel Prize nomination and forms the corner stone of our mission. We want to bring people together (Share), let them experience joy (Joy) and enriche their lives (Playful living).” Such a core change has been reinforced by the adoption of a new corporate identity by Holland Casino. In Mr Goudsmit’s eyes, the old identity communicated reliability,trustworthiness but lacked
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