The Swiss government has awarded two new casino licences for the city of Zurich and the Neuchatel region of the country, opting for local operators ahead of several international applicants.
Nine applications were received and examined by the Federal Gaming Commission, with each judged on the capital they would provide, the source of funds, reputation, security and economic impact.
Swiss Casinos Zurich has been awarded the type-A licence for Zurich, enabling it to develop a ‘grand’ casino on the site of the former Ober Haus department store with a gaming floor of around 4,500sqm.
With building work to begin in the second half of this year, the new casino is scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2012 and will be aimed at "upscale guests", both local residents and visitors from abroad. Creating 230 new jobs, the casino will represent an investment of around 80m francs.
The second licence, this time for a smaller, type-B licence that sets limits on prizes and the number of slot machines, was awarded to FBAM Neuchatel - an entity backed by the Kongress und Kursaal Bern hotel and casino group.
To be developed on the site of Casino de la Rotonde, the new gaming facility is to open early next year.
The outcome of the tender for the Neuchatel licence is sure to be a disappointment for Century Casinos and Lucien Barriere, both of which had submitted separate proposals to develop a new casino there.
