An important anniversary, celebrated with an eye to the future. Casino de Lugano turns 20 this month and its president, Emanuele Stauffer, tells us how his business has changed over the years.
“The Casino is an institution in the city of Lugano that goes beyond twenty years: in fact, it shares a good 200 years of history with it. An icon distinguished by numerous transformations, which was first born as a 19th century salon – a place of meeting and discussion in the city – then became the Kursaal Theater – a place of culture in the city – and then became a house of betting, a point of reference since 2002 for entertainment in the area and beyond. But not only. In the last twenty years it has become one of the symbols of the lakeside. A building that is not a container alien to the context, but is able to communicate with it, becoming, in common feeling, a characterizing element. It is not a temple of the game as an end in itself, but a place born to live a positive experience in which to have fun and meet.
An institution in constant evolution, therefore, always with an ear directed to the territory and a fixed gaze towards the future: this is its objective, developed throughout the twenty years of activity as a house of chance and base for growth by at twenty twenty twenty Casino Lugano continues to seek the quality and variety of options, to satisfy all preferences, strengthen the dynamic and refined soul that distinguishes it, ready to respond to the ever-increasing demand for high-level entertainment, culture of the game, excellence in leisure and comfort. . Predisposed to express an industriousness aimed at involving and inspiring, but above all at taking care of the players”.
How has the presence of the Casino changed the city of Lugano?
“From its origins, the Casino of Lugano has represented an important strategic, economic and tourist point for the city which, in fact, has enhanced its appeal, highlighting its identity, character and uniqueness. It has been and is a benchmark in entertainment, an important voice in its economy, increasing the excellent welcoming spirit of the territory, in order to generate a strong attraction not only locally but also abroad with a notable benefit long-term” .
What is the economic, touristic and employment impact of the casino on the territory?
“The Casino is of great value to the city. In fact, the contribution it makes to its reference shareholder is important, both economically and image-wise: it is a central element of the tourist offer and beyond. It also plays an important role as a provider of jobs and, in fact, generates an important induced external effect, involving various local resources such as businesses, hotels and tourism-cultural enterprises. From this point of view, the collaboration between the Casino, the city and its companies allows tourists and citizens to be offered a first-class hospitality and entertainment service.
In addition, the ‘networking’ project pushes us further to increase this link: it is through synergy with local actors that Casino Lugano manages to strengthen its offer and offer original and unique experiences”.
How will the casino celebrate this important anniversary?
“We want to celebrate this success with our gaming house, expressing in a reserved and sincere way the esteem and affection we have for our staff and for our customers and partners who have contributed to making this company possible, also involving the institutional authorities of the territory.
We have several activities planned, such as the ‘Venti Roaring’ promotion for all our customers and numerous surprises dedicated to our 20th anniversary, a celebratory glass of champagne to all those who will enter our anniversary with gadgets and a very special box with some local products, thanks to the collaboration with our partners. We also organize a ‘signature dinner’, with a star chef who will bring his innovative cuisine and explosion of taste to our function room on the third floor. But Casino Lugano also has another incredible strength: its people. And he wants to celebrate it with his community, his ‘extended family’, to celebrate our collaborators who dedicate their commitment, energy and who live this space with passion and determination. A special dinner with all our staff is highly desired, because, as Sepúlveda said, ‘only those who dare to fly fly’, and we were also able to do so thanks to them. Some have lost a little white hair, some have retired, other young collaborators have joined in the course of the work, but in this process the team has always been cohesive with the specific intention of continuing an important project created in 2002 And there are also those who were already at Casino Lugano twenty years ago, the day it opened and are still there, proudly celebrating twenty years of service. We have done a lot together during these years as Casino Lugano Sa, we have done a lot even before with the various historical pieces that our structure has shown at the service of the territory where it was born and raised. Now what matters most to us is what we continue to do and will continue to do: the difference, constantly working to create an excellent proposal that supports and implements the welcoming spirit of our territory, to generate a strong attraction not only locally but also outside “.
How do you envision the next twenty years, starting with licensing?
“The Casino, in fact, is a value that must be protected. Therefore, obtaining the renewal of the federal concession is of fundamental importance, it is the number one objective. The different departments of the gambling house are, in fact, working in synergy to submit the license renewal application to the Federal Council at the end of October 2022. Being able to confirm the status of a gambling house with an A license allows us to make the strategic changes necessary to meet the demand for varied and innovative entertainment in our city. What we want to continue to do above all is to involve and excite, through an increasingly complete reception service, the planning of constantly changing initiatives, exclusive events, excellent catering and new promotional formulas that encourage each day the Casino rooms. In addition, our growth plans pay close attention to social responsibility goals: an innovative option with extraordinary potential. Precisely with this in mind, the casino adopts measures aimed at reducing waste and reuse. From the purchase of products from local suppliers, to the digitization of internal and external processes and documents, trying to eliminate as much as possible the consumption of paper, even if it is recycled, also having a great impact on selective collection in the different departments. Going green means transforming our company into a place that is more attentive to the well-being not only of our collaborators but also of the community, improving its health, sustainability and safety conditions”.
How much does expensive energy weigh on you and how do you cope?
“The increase in the costs of heating and electricity are beginning to give the first warnings. To combat expensive energy – but also and above all, to reduce the environmental impact of our activities – we are currently planning with Ail the internal installation of a heat pump and, on the roof of the gambling house, a last generation photovoltaic system of 124.32. kWp. This investment will allow us, first of all, to determine significant energy savings, reduce the impact of Co2 by optimizing unused spaces and, in particular, reduce the environmental impact of the casino’s activities”.
Games, restaurants, entertainment and online deals – how important are these elements to you?
“The warm familiarity that distinguishes our house of chance is, for all intents and purposes, customer-centered and aimed at making their stay in our structure pleasant, comfortable, safe and valuable. For this reason, great attention is paid to the portfolio of games, among the largest and most diversified in Switzerland, which is constantly monitored and innovated, both in terms of the machine pool – which has the largest number of slot machines, enriched with new play kits. involving and state-of-the-art – that the table proposal, increased by the return of the prestigious French games and by this year’s great novelty, the Three Card Poker.
The launch of Swiss4Win.ch, Ticino’s first online casino, has also made it possible to make the service of Casino Lugano accessible anywhere and at any time, maintaining the high level of the game offer. But not only. The Restaurant Elementi, one of the most recognized in Lugano, and the multifunctional room on the third floor – a space of more than 250 square meters for elegant and design events – constitute an important complement to the offer related to the game, making Casino Lugano an attractive and unique location of its kind, able to connect between companies and attract new potential players, distinguishing itself significantly from the competition. In addition, another strong point of the structure is the reception service that is available in all sectors: from the valet service, to the host assistants always available at reception and in the dining room, from the attentive service from the restaurant staff, to the meticulous professionalism of our croupiers. We have a customer service point dedicated to customer service, an always active and manned cloakroom service and a continuous and punctual bar service”.
