Hotels and Casinos de Deauville: small quarters for the subsidiary of Groupe Lucien Barrière.

The company Deauville Hotels & Casinos, a subsidiary of Lucien Barriere , achieved a turnover of 58.1 Million Euros for its third quarter 2004/2005 (May-July) down 4.9 ù yoy. The hotel division has limited the period to fall to 2.7% (19.1 M), while the casino industry yielded 5.9% to 39 ME.

At 9 months, the activity appears to ME 154.38, down 1.2% yoy, “as a result of lower table games and activities accommodation reflecting a sharp drop in clientele. The activity slots rose 4% thanks in particular to Enghien whose activity was up 9% from last year due to an increase in attendance from the casino and the installation of 40 Additional slots (of the 70 grades) in July. The casino of La Rochelle has set up 20 new slots in December 2004.

The games, however, were heavily penalized and show a decrease in activity by 17% reflecting a disaffection of customers in all the casinos in particular in Enghien, where the number of entries down 10%. This explains in particular the worsening of the third quarter. The hosting business is down 4.6%. The number of room nights sold fell by 9%. “Activity on the individual segment rebounded in the third quarter, which was not the case for segment groups and seminars that continues to suffer from strong competition and retrenchment of corporate clients” says management.

The restoration is progressing overall by 2.2%. This growth is mainly explained by the opening of the casino in Trouville breweries and Menton and the good performance of Fouquet’s, which offset declines in other businesses (including Deauville) following the general trend of the activity.

A casino project in Easter Island: No more!

The announced location of a casino in Rapa Nui (Easter Island) divides the population and controversial. The project also includes, in addition to the casino with 220 slots, 7 table games and 3 wheels, a resort, a museum, exhibition hall, an amphitheater, restaurants, a cinema and an information center. The municipality is favorable, but the shared population.

The plan for a casino in Rapa Nui controversial. It comes from an entrepreneur who already owns the largest travel agency on the island and most luxurious hotel.

Her project includes the implementation of a real complex with a museum, a tourist information center, craft shops, restaurants, cinema, events center, rooms for seminars, a bathroom expo, an amphitheater, and a casino of 220 slots, 7 table games, 3 wheels.

The municipality supports

The municipality of Rapa Nui has a favorable opinion to the project, hoping to fall into the coffers of the town 10% of profits from the casino, unexpected financial windfall on an island where there is no tax on labor income or capital. A valuable input, therefore, for the Chilean territory, which operates only by subsidies from the state and its tourism. In contrast, the population does not always see this casino a good eye. The casino is seen, as was a few years ago a proposed golf course and hotel, as a threat to the human heritage, social and cultural development of the island. There is also concern the deterioration of archaeological incomparable Easter Island, by the influx of a large tourist population more interested in gambling than by the discovery of ancient treasure.

Greed

Some also fear that the inhabitants of Rapa Nui from falling under the sway of the game, to be forced to sell their land.
Greed is elsewhere: the promises of hiring and profitability of the proposed casino are tempting: 150 jobs will be created and reserved in most of the islanders. Another argument to accept the project’s developer announced that architects draw on culture Rapa Nui (ahu and hare Paenga) to draw a set of buildings in order to properly integrate into the environment, without adversely affecting the spectacular scenery of the island. Stay tuned …

The “gambling” GR

In the basement of the Interior Ministry, two wheels, a blackjack table, two bandits: the “gambling” General Intelligence, which train the officials of the Sub-Directorate and races games. A place to visit during Heritage Days this weekend.

To monitor the 190 French casinos and identify cheaters, it is still necessary to know exactly the rules, “says Michel Roland boss’ races and games.” And training is in compliance with the details. The equipment is loaned by a business and tokens bearing the “Palais de la Mediterranee, Nice.”

This service and its 260 employees (70 to Paris, 190 in the provinces) are also responsible for giving an opinion, usually followed by the Minister, before the opening of a casino: they investigate the candidates before hiring and s ‘ensure that those who have been banned does not go into institutions.

Poor “laundry”

Their mission is to provide “security state” to a sector, which for the average citizen, lugs around a reputation as romantic as sulfur. Yet, according to Michel Roland, casinos, including slot machines, which now represent 95% of their turnover, are “one of the worst banchisseries (dirty money) that exists.” “The identity of any player who exchange more than 1 000 € token is verified and recorded in a register and places are constantly monitored by officials of the Interior and Finance.”

The stakes are high: the state cash 56% of the nearly 2 billion annual gross gambling establishments, municipalities wrapping up 15% of the loot.

The possibilities for fraud abound: the unscrupulous who works with old, described by Dostoyevsky in “The Player”, and who benefits from the hectic end of the game to winning unduly chips on the carpet, the band organized using sophisticated technical means.

“Once we found an accounting anomaly, which was suspected of theft or irregularity, there is control and criminal investigation,” said Michel Roland.

A big winner

Three times a year, the National School of the Judiciary sends students to train with the under-management “and racing games.” Also a reminder of the legislative framework and a visit to a racetrack, they also pass through the “gambling”.
Michel Roland ensures that once the work is completed, the classroom is never diverted for more fun. According to the Comptroller General, his men are vaccinated against the devil’s game: “They are well placed to know that there is a big winner, the state, and there is another that is doing no evil, owner. In your opinion who loses? “

Earnings record in the Euro Millions and the PMU, the French set record

PARIS (AFP) – Both record earnings beat this weekend, more than 75 million euros to the French Euro Millions games (FDJ) and EUR 4.2 million Quinté + PMU, came as the revenue from gambling operators and prognosis are constantly increasing.

And after the cake Euro Millions Friday, the JDF has been living since Saturday cherry Tourcoing (North) won the £ 6 million Lotto indestructible.

The unemployed Franconville (Val-d’Oise), who smashed the record gains in a game of chance in France by winning Euro 75,888,514 to Euro Millions, and the bettor Norman, yet anonymous, which pocketed 4,207,000 Euro for the new Quinte +, both have relied on newly created games that boosted sales of the FDJ and PMU.

French Games (40,000 points of sale) in 2004 an increase of 9.8% of its turnover (8.55 billion euros) thanks to the Euro Millions, born in early 2004, which generated him only 587 million euros in revenue.

As the PMU (8,000 outlets), it increased its turnover by 7.6% (7.6 billion euros) in 2004. In the first eight months of 2005, it grew by 7.1%, largely due to the new Quinte +, launched January 15, 2005. Second business decision-paris horse behind the PMU Japanese, French PMU 1.8 billion recorded in Paris in 2004, taken by its 6.5 million regular customers.

“The games are a breath, an open window in a closed society,” told AFP Robert Rochefort, director of Research Center for the Study and Observation of Living Conditions (Crédoc). “+ If an unemployed 55-year-old father of seven children, can earn that much money, anything is possible + to say many people forget that this fairy tale is based on selection mechanisms (earnings potential, ie) very hard, “notes Mr. Rochefort.

“The JDF has achieved a feat of marketing with the Euro Millions” lottery this town nine European countries launched in February 2004, said the director of the documentary credit, as the “Players are obviously attracted by the hyper gain is possible (European record of 115,436,126 euros in late July in Ireland).

The sociologist Jean-Pierre Martignoni-Hutin, president of the Observatory of games, going in the same direction by stressing that gambling need “a windfall, an amount inaccessible to motivate players.”

As for the casino, they were equipped in 2004 to nearly 18,000 penguins bandits-which generated gross gaming revenue (money lost by players), the only official figure published by the casinos, of 2.61 billion euros, increase of 2.60%.

And year after year, the French are playing the lottery more so, on horses and in casinos. For the benefit of Bercy in 2004 who earned more than five billion euros in taxes.

The Rangers become property developers

The famous Scottish club Glasgow Rangers won the green light from the Glasgow City Council to build a resort and casino next to his Ibrox stadium, located in downtown. The Rangers have also found a partnership agreement with U.S. company Las Vegas Sands to fund this project, which could create up to 2,000 jobs. The project, estimated at 120 million pounds (180 million euros) for the construction of a casino with a sports field on the roof, a 140 room hotel, a new shop Rangers, apartments, shops, bars and restaurants, must still be approved by the British government.

Casinos: Bridgepoint poised to resume Moliflor Entertainment

The operator of casinos Moliflor Entertainment , number three in the French sector, is about to change hands as part of its third buyout since 1999. The UK investment fund Bridgepoint negotiates effect the recovery of the whole capital funds with Legal & General Ventures – shareholder – and Royal Bank Private Equity and management, holds a small stake. “The discussions are sufficiently advanced and well underway. We have every reason to believe that, subject to the green light from regulators, the transaction takes place before the end of the year, “said the chairman of the supervisory board of Moliflor Philippe Gazagne, confirming information “The Tribune”. Refusing to disclose any amount, the latter described as “credible” an enterprise value of 460 million euros.

Beginning in March 2002, Legal & General Ventures and Royal Bank Private Equity had taken the company from PPM Ventures on the basis of a valuation of 400 million euros. As highlighted Gazagne Philippe, the new LBO, which management must participate, aims to provide new ways to Moliflor Entertainment to develop. The company now has 20 casinos in operation in France – twenty first will open in Isère – including positions itself as an actor in the ongoing consolidation in the sector, and focuses on foreign .

Partouche group: renewed interest related to Moliflor Entertainment

Renewed interest in the work group Partouche that bounces more than 5% to 14.3 euros. The casino gaming industry is indeed busy with a new proposed ownership change for the group Moliflor Entertainment , number three in French industry with 20 casinos including the establishment of Antibes La Siesta.

According to the dailies La Tribune and Les Echos “, the UK investment fund Bridgepoint Moliflor to resume for a price close to 460 million euros. This price represents approximately 1.9 times the gross gaming revenue of Moliflor, a ratio far higher than the current valuation of Groupe Partouche

Groupe Lucien Barrière AC announces increase of 1.5% over 10 months

Group Lucien Barriere , a European leader in casinos with 39 outlets since its merger with Accor Casinos, announced Wednesday an increase of 1.5% of its turnover in ten months to end August.

At a press conference on the eve of the opening of the Top Resa travel fair in Deauville (Calvados), Groupe Lucien Barriere , majority owned by the family Desseigne Barrier, said that this increase occurs “in a context of very difficult market “and an area” in regression “.

For summer 2005, the company said the gain was 1.8% (June, July and August).

For comparison, the group, which was not associated with Accor and Colony Capital Fund, announced in September 2004 was up 6.5% of its turnover for the summer.

According to Dominique Desseigne, chairman of the supervisory board of the group, it was “well defended” and is “better than the competition,” he said, despite a regulation that “date” and “must change” and competition from games like the French games.

“The group, he said, confidently undertake a new phase in its history” and “continuing its investments.”

Over 10 months, says the group, growth was achieved thanks to the casinos (+1.9%) and the restaurant business (+0.6%), while the hotel was down 1.8% . In casinos, the growth was achieved “thanks to the growth in business machines (+3.9%), in a market increasingly competitive,” notes the group. He cites the casinos of Enghien, the first French casino, “whose gross gaming revenue increased 8%,” Swiss and casinos, including the Montreux (+ 16%).

In August the group “has seen its slot to expand with 40 new machines at Enghien, 60 to Briançon (first injection), 20 and 15 at Carnac in Dinard. Princes Casino in Cannes for his 150 runs New slot machines since last March and the group now has a fleet of 5,819 slot machines, “the Group Lucien Barriere .

Overall, however, notes the casino operator, “the activity is still difficult for the games, while the tax on gambling has increased since January 1, 2005 with the increase of the CSG 7.5 to 9.5% whose impact amounts for the Group Lucien Barrière to 8 million euros “.

The hotel business, “in a context of sluggish tourism in France”, is down 1.8% despite a “satisfactory progressions stations Enghien-les-Bains, Dinard or Mandelieu example,” the group, which reported “positive signs” in August and September.

The restaurant business, a slight increase, including a record 1.2% growth for the restaurant Fouquet’s in Paris, the group said. On its development projects, the group cites the casino Barrier Ribeauvillé, in the Vosges (January), the Casino Barrière de Besançon (May), and Casino Les Princes Barriere de Cannes (March).

Among the major projects, he cites the future casino Toulouse, Centre for Well-being of Enghien-les-Bains, Hotel Fouquet’s Barrière in Paris on the Champs-Elysees, which is scheduled to open in Fall 2006.

A plot of 2 hectares acquired in Marrakech will be used, with an investment of EUR 45 million, construction of hotels and riads to be sold and whose group will manage rental.

Casino du Havre: Place your bets on 1 June 2006

The casino at the Palais du Havre install Exchange on 1 June 2006. The listed building is currently undergoing major work. Only the structure of the building was preserved, the 14 000 m2 of premises subject to a complete restructuring. 25 million euros are invested by the group Partouche work contracted for these firms Duval and Reynal. At 70%, companies working on the site are local businesses. Partouche should hire 150 people to operate the casino.

SBM (Game hotels): net income tripled and doubled dividend per share

The Society of sea bathing (gaming, hotels), which owns casinos and main hotels in Monaco, has tripled net income group at 25.2 million euros for 2004-2005, as against 8 , 4 last year, according to figures released Friday.

In addition, SBM has decided a dividend of 3.75 euros per share against 1.80 euros last year, said Jean-Luc Biamonti, Chairman of the Board, during a press briefing at the Following the general meeting of shareholders.

“This is the best exercise ever undertaken by the company, a record,” commented Mr. Biamonti.

Accounts at 31 March 2005, consolidated sales rose 9% to 346.9 million euros. The two main sectors-casino, hotel and show a similar rate of progress.

If the CA of the games industry recorded the highest level of activity ever achieved by the company at 228.4 million euros, the hotel industry is struggling to return to the extent that business was up 9% while the Operating income is down and is a negative 0.1 million euros against a profit of 0.2 million for the year.

Mr. Biamonti stressed that for 5 years the hospitality industry was experiencing a steady erosion of its results, while turnover remains roughly constant. In particular, he attributed this to the fact that “competition is undercutting.

Also, the SBM group he founded great hopes on its new resort Monte Carlo Bay Resort, a “four star plus”, which should open its doors on October 1 on the peninsula Larvotto.

The complex will cover a thousand rooms to the capacity of the SBM, with recent acquisitions and adjustments made by management of the hotel group.

Customer hotels in the SBM is mainly French (20%) followed by Britons (15%), Italians (14%) and the Americans (11%).

To finance its future investment policy, the SBM group concluded with a banking consortium to open a revolving credit facility amounting to EUR 160 million until March 31, 2015.

Listed on the stock exchange in Paris, the SBM group is controlled by the Monegasque State holds 69% of the 1.8 million shares.