Photo Captions: Left: A delighted Christoph Boo, Casino Zurich, wins the European Dealer Championship 2022 in Monte-Carlo.
Right: The event received unprecedented recognition with the visit of HSH Prince Albert II.
Below: Pascal Camia, Chief Operating Officer, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains der Mer, discusses the event with Monaco TV.
Below right: The Winner's Party with ECA Secretary General, Hermann Pamminger, three European Dealer Champions, Matti Kankainen 2018 (Finland), Christoph Boo 2022 (Switzerland), ECA Chairman, Per Jaldung, and 2019 EDC Champion Tamas Adam (Switzerland).
"Our dealers are the essential ingredient in our live gaming environments. The EDC showcases the incredible
diversity of talent nurtured by the land-based gaming
industry, which employs over 50,000 people in Europe. Congratulations to Christoph Boo for rising to the top of an outstanding field of competitors.” Per Jaldung,
ECA Chairman.
art of dealing. Such was the intensity that the most number of balls ever seen leaving a roulette wheel in Monte-Carlo continued to fly throughout the two days.
“Judging the competition was extremely difficult, as the standard of the dealing talent at this year’s event was of the very highest order. It has been a pleasure to witness the skill and determination of all the dealers taking part in Monaco this year. Te participants acquitted themselves with the same great composure and professionalism that they show everyday in their home country casinos. Congratulations to the winners and my thanks to all the competitors for making this event such an incredible and memorable tournament, and to our host, Casino de Monte-Carlo, for providing the most remarkable location for the championship,” stated Jaana Ruokamo, EDC 2022 Tournament Director and Chain Operations Manager, Veikkaus Oy.
Breaking up the two days of competition was the EDC Gala Dinner, which on the first night brought everyone together under the roof of the grand ballroom, the Salle Belle Époque at the Hotel Hermitage Monte-Carlo. Te room, a listed monument, was filled with gaming glamour, live music, fine food and drinks throughout a spectacular evening. It was a chance to relax and regroup for the competitors after the
P22 WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS
pressures of the first day and to discuss tactics for the final. It was also an opportunity to discuss the competition and the evolution of the gaming experience in Monte-Carlo with Stéphane Valeri, President of the Parliament of Monaco, who formally attended the Gala.
Tamas Adam, the longest-reigning Champion (due to the pandemic), returned as a judge of the competition having won the event in Tallinn back in 2019. Now General Manager of Casino Admiral Ruggell, Switzerland, Tamas stated: “Tis year's event has been a wonderful competition in an amazing location and after two years it is great to be back amongst the best dealers in Europe.”
Te second day of the competition, as the finalists gathered for the last push, the European Dealer Championship’s most honoured guest arrived to meet and greet the final eight dealers. HSH Prince Albert II shook hands with the competitors and spoke to the organising committee of the EDC about the event, receiving a gift from the ECA in appreciation of the visit and Monaco's gracious hosting of the competition. Te previous day, the ECA Board of Directors met with Monaco's Minister of State, Mr. Dartout, in the presence of the Minister of Finance and Economy, the Chief of Staff and both Jean-Luc Biamonti and Pascal Camia from Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer (SBM).
Pascal Camia, Chief Operating Officer, Monte- Carlo Société des Bains der Mer, stated: “It has been a great pleasure to host such elite dealer talent from so many European land-based casinos here in Monaco. Te competition was intense, thrilling and most importantly, fun. It was a great achievement for Casino de Monte- Carlo to have two finalists in this year’s competition in Noemie Serra and Christopher Conceicao. All the participants created an atmosphere of competitive rivalry, sharing their skill and know-how with their peers in a fabulous final that found a worthy champion in Christoph Boo.”
Such was the profile and recognition of their year's competition that it now feels like the EDC is straining at the leash. Hosted by SBM, presenting the perfect backdrop to the gaming drama, the European Dealer Championship is within touching distance of presenting itself as an ESPN-style sports event. It is a competition for the industry, by the industry, but now the tournament needs be televised to raise even greater awareness of the skills and talents on display 24/7 in casinos across Europe.
And it makes sense. Facing a recruiting challenge, the lasting long-Covid effects of the pandemic, and a fight to pull clients back to live gaming from online - the ECA has the perfect answer - an event that showcases the games,
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