EUROPEAN CASINO ASSOCIATION
The view from Europe
European Casino Association Chairman and Casino Cosmopol Sweden CEO Per Jaldung looks at the challenge ahead for the sector across the continent
T Per Jaldung
he crisis caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic has certainly not spared the licensed land-based European casino industry, which in the last six months has experienced and it is still experiencing one of
the hardest times ever. While European operators were caught unprepared by this unprecedented crisis, they quickly proved their resilience and immediately found a way to reorganise and make casinos as safe as possible for both employees and customers in order to go back to a new normality. In fact, from the beginning, ECA’s members worked hard to negotiate with their respective governments the reopening of operations in a safe and gradual way. Thermal scanners, plexiglasses, respect of social distance, limited number of players and constant sanitization of the surfaces are just a few of the strict hygiene measures that casinos implemented across Europe to welcome again their customers in a safe place. Clients were happy with the reopening and respectful of
the measures taken, showing how the atmosphere created in land-based casinos is not replaceable by the one of online casinos, and proving that casinos are an integrated part of society. That is why the gradual reopening of casinos, starting from May, has been celebrated as a rebirth with the promise to be stronger than ever. The European Casino Association played a key role
from the start in this process, creating a tight online network among its members from 30 European countries to exchange information and best practices in real time and share workable solutions and first-hand experiences. The pandemic also gave the opportunity to explore new digital tools for the benefit of members, such as surveys and webinars, making it easier to organize the information, connect people and get complete overviews on relevant topics. On another note, it has been particularly upsetting to cancel and postpone until further notice some signature ECA events. The 14th edition of the European Dealer Championship, would have been a record edition thanks to the popularity gained in recent years, with 25 countries participating and more than 40 competitors, all gathered in the superb location of the historic Casino De Monte-Carlo in Monaco. The same goes for the ECA Industry Forum, that was supposed to take place in the beautiful Casino Baden in
Casino Baden, Austria 36 SEPTEMBER 2020
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