As Rwanda's government seeks to formalise its gaming regulations, Nick Ivanov tells InterGaming about the role played by Casino Kigali
In November 2008, Casino Kigali opened its doors, becoming the first casino in the central African republic of Rwanda. Located in the Top Tower Hotel, one of the capital city's most luxurious hotels, the casino opened with nine gaming tables and 30 slot machines. Recent renovation work has developed the property further so that it now boasts 13 gaming tables and 45 machines, as well as a new 'Sportszone' where guests can watch sporting events on high-definition televisions. Sports betting facilities are planned for the new year.
Although owned by Casino Games Rwanda, Casino Kigali is operated by Solna Leisure, a company that began managing gaming venues in Russia in the early 1990s and still operates Casino Adjara in Tibilisi, Georgia. As the first and only fully-fledged casino in the country, the story of Casino Kigali's development is that of Rwanda's gaming market itself.
“When Casino Kigali opened there were no gaming regulations in place,” explains casino manager Nick Ivanov. “The casino received special permission from the Rwanda Gaming Corporation, which issues licences for operating lotteries and gaming venues and was initially self-regulating.”
Since operations began, the company has paid a licence fee to the partly government-owned corporation. Attracting both local and foreign clientele, Casino Kigali presently employs 85 people and, along with the hotel in which it is found, is very much part of Rwanda's growing tourism offering. Stimulating the economy through tourism is an important element of the country's long recovery from the civil war of the early 1990s. Many come to observe the famed mountain gorillas of the Volcans National Park, but the continued development of the Akagera Game Park and the city of Gisenyi located on the shores of Lake Kivu is helping to bring new visitors to the country. National airline Rwandair recently took delivery of its first of two Boeing 737-800 aircraft and it currently runs services between South Africa, Dubai, Kenya and the Congo. There are plans to open up routes to India in the next year. New hotel projects are also under way, complementing the country's existing hotel accommodation.
This feature can be found in full in the November 2011 issue of InterGaming magazine.
