CR85-p08-Europe CE&CIS1:SJC-Casino Review 25/10/09 13:08 Page 1
internationalcasinoreview
Feuchtwangen awaits 2,000,000th visitor
Casino Feuchtwangen in north west Bavaria is expecting its
2,000,000th visitor at the end of October. The lucky person will be
given a celebratory voucher for a meal in the restaurant and also a
cash gift. The casino opened under ten years ago and hit the 1m-
visitor-mark in May 2004. In its first five years, it averaged 230,000
visitors annually. In 2008, the number fell to just 155,000.
News
EUROPE CENTRAL, EAST & CIS
Attempt to change
legal foundation of
Swiss casinos
moves ahead
goodorbad and the tax levied on their more than surprising on the the law. To do this there is no
SWITZERLAND activities will be assigned to part of promoters who claim need to change the Federal
the social insurance organisa- to want to regulate the Constitution.”
A move to change the Swiss tion for old age and survivors gaming sector in the name of The SCA believes this is a
constitution to enshrine the (AHV/AVS). The federal law the public good.” plan by the lottery compa-
idea that the proceeds of gam- on gambling should clarify The association rejects nies to try and cement their
bling games would be used their status for the public the proposals on several monopoly. “The main aim of
for the public good alone has good. Thirdly, lotteries and points:“The initiativ e is polit- the initiative is not to serve
passed the approval of the betting should become the ically useless. The current the public good but to anchor
Federal Chancellery and is to responsibility of the cantons; legislation already puts gam- the lotteries’ monopoly claim
be discussed by ministers. they should, as they always bling at the service of the in the constitution.”
The initiative, put forward have done, hand over all their public good. This basic prin- The proposal is framed as a
originally with the support of profits to charitable, cultural, ciple is not contested by Federal Popular Initiative - a
Loterie Romande and the social and sporting causes. anyone and will be main- process by which Swiss citi-
Sport-Toto Company, pro- The Federation of Swiss tained in the future. zens can bring about changes
posed three key amendments Casinos Association (SCA) is “It resolves no existing to the national constitution.
to Article 106 of the Swiss deeply hostile to the pro- problems but creates new The Federal Chancellery,
constitution. Firstly, all gam- posal. In a statement, it said: ones,” it continued. “By taking which deals largely with gov-
bling activities must serve “We reject this initiative, away the Confederation’s ernment administration,
A fierce argument has broken out
the public interest and that which has no use...[it] was powers to legislate in all areas found that it satisfied all the
between Loterie Romande and the federal and cantonal authori- launched by a committee of gambling, it prepares the requirements to go forward
Swiss Casino Association over the
ties should co-ordinate their close to the Loterie Romande ground for future conflicts to be discussed by the gov-
former’s attempt to get the Swiss
policies in order to fight gam- and the Sport-Toto company. between the Confederation erning Federal Council. If it
bling addiction. Secondly, These two companies sup- and the cantons. The current passes that stage it will go
constitution amended in order to ensure casinos remain the responsi- ported the collection of sig- problems of gambling on the before Parliament but will
that gambling proceeds are used to the
bility of the Confederation natures at the cost of millions internet, the distinction then have to be passed in a
public good and legislation is framed at
of francs, thereby misusing between the different types national referendum. There is
money that was destined for of games and the battle a long way to go but the
a lower level for lotteries and betting.
All balls are now in the air as a
potentially transformative legal
public use and diverting it to against illegal gaming must success of the initiative
process reaches its next stage finance political aims. This is be regulated at the level of cannot be discounted.
Hitch in sale of Vast project proposed
Sachsen-Anhalt Casinos for Silk Road
nextplease good concept and wanted to invest.” longroad over to leisure and entertain-
GERMANY He is now in negotiations with the KAZAKHSTAN ment functions.
next preferred bidder, the Sybil The project has the backing
The privatisation of the casinos in Group, a Cypriot commercial prop- A vast leisure, entertainment of the government, but there
the central German state of Sachsen- erty development company, which and gaming resort has been are few indications as to how it
Anhalt has hit an obstacle with the wants to open a large casino (a “Las proposed for a lakeside tourist would be funded or what the
withdrawal of the preferred bidder, Vegas of the East”) near the village of town in Kazakhstan, 70km north total investment would be or
Spielbank Berlin, in mid October. Vockerode, 60km to the south east of the former capital Almaty in who would be expected to
The company, which operates the of Magdeburg. That project, which the south of the country. make it. Nevertheless, the
casino in Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, would include a E300m-entertain- The development, if it information announcing the
has not given a reason. ment centre with a casino, a luxury comes to fruition, will be called project predicted a payback
The two full casinos in Magde- hotel and shopping centre, is a con- Silk Road City (or Zhibek Zholy period of seven years.
burg and Halle and the electronic troversial one among the local politi- in the Kazakh language) and
venue in Wernigerode were put up cians, who believe it would be too will see the construction of
for sale in March this year after a big. The third bidder is Mecklenburg hotels, a theatre, a concert hall,
succession of poor results and Casino Company. casinos, restaurants, a mar-
declining revenues blamed on the Failure to find a buyer will mean riage ceremony venue, leisure
smoking ban, the recession and that all three casinos will close, an parks, an exhibition centre,
unfair competition. The state has outcome that politicians on all sides sports arenas, golf courses
twice had to save the company with do not want to see. In addition to the and beauty and health salons
cash injections. loss of about 100 jobs, there would among other things.
The design of Silk Road City
The finance minister Jens Buller- be additional closure costs of about The total area would cover incorporates representations
jahn was disappointed in Spielbank E7m plus the loss of gaming taxes
Sachsen-Anhalt’s disappointed finance
circa 385 hectares, of which
of camels, swans, musical
Berlin’s decision, saying: “They had a completely. minister Jens Bullerjahn 130 hectares would be given
instruments and flying saucers
8 November 2009 • europecentraleast&cisnews
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