The gambling market is a veritable goose that lays golden eggs for all countries, without exception. France's 197 casinos, which represent the third-largest sector of this market, generated \u20ac2.8 billion in gross revenue - i.e. the sums invested in gambling after payment of winnings - a large proportion of which came from slot machines. According to the Casinos de France union, revenues for the 2006-2007 season were up by 2.8 %. These results are mainly due to the development of poker games.<\/p>\n
According to a study carried out by Coach Omnium, \"the four leading groups in the market - Partouche, Lucien Barri\u00e8re, Joagroupe and Tranchant - account for 61 % of casino units and almost three quarters of market share, leaving little room for the survival of small groups and independents, while at the same time winning most of the bids from major cities\". Coach Omnium points out that French establishments, like their American counterparts, are \"developing numerous ancillary activities around the game: shows, catering, hotels, spas, etc. They are transforming themselves into veritable leisure centres in order to build customer loyalty and increase ancillary revenue\". Another finding is that, contrary to popular belief, access to casinos is not reserved for an elite: 30 % of gamblers come from modest socio-professional categories (CSP); managers and intermediate professions represent only a quarter of the clientele. But while all socio-professional groups 'consume' casinos, the development of slot machines (MAS for those in the know) has largely contributed to the popularity of gaming houses among a low-income population. MAS tend to attract a younger clientele: 37% of players are aged between 35 and 50. However, retired people account for almost 20 % of the customer base. The average stake is around \u20ac45 and the vast majority of regulars live in the area around the site. For Mark Walkins, Director of Coach Omnium, \"casinos are a perfect match for business tourism, especially when the establishments have a top-of-the-range hotel, restaurant and seminar rooms. Their prestigious image attracts companies. At the same time, they make participants dream because they reflect a festive image.\" What's more, according to Coach Omnium, \"for business groups, the casino has become an indispensable tool for hosting evenings at a tourist resort. In the context of seminars, the activity is identified with entertainment. The casino offers a restaurant, a nightclub and a slot machine room. It must offer products adapted to the composition of the seminars: a global package with entry to the nightclub, tokens and cocktails\". The study also highlights the specific nature of casinos located in seaside resorts. \"In the low season, they operate mainly with seminar customers. In fact, conferences organised by companies from the region and the Paris Basin in the major hotels nearby generate demand.\"<\/p>\n
Deauville remains one of the benchmarks for business tourism and casinos. \"It is the Lucien Barri\u00e8re Group's largest business tourism site. It serves as a model for other establishments,\" explains \u00c9ric Fouquet, Sales Director of Lucien Barri\u00e8re \u00c9v\u00e9nements et R\u00e9ceptions Deauville. \"From the outset, we positioned ourselves in this market by adapting our reception facilities to this clientele and regularly launching new products. This last point is important because a good number of our regulars are part of our clientele. As a result, we have around thirty services to satisfy customers, even if they organised an event with us the previous year. To meet the demand from businesses, the Lucien Barri\u00e8re Events and Receptions department was created in 2007. \"We now have a team dedicated to corporate clients, and specialised catalogues are published. We have also created the Sofa Bar O2 area at the Deauville casino, with its exceptional terrace overlooking the sea, ideal for cocktails or gala evenings.\"<\/p>\n
But one of the main assets of the Deauville casino remains its integration into the Lucien Barri\u00e8re complex, with three- and four-star hotels, restaurants, function rooms, a nightclub, a convention centre linked to the casino and a plethora of services to suit short and medium stays of all sizes. \"What's more, Deauville opens up a wide range of possibilities, particularly around the world of horses. For example, horse-racing evenings can be organised at the racecourse, and can even be enlivened by Mario Luraschi's equestrian shows. Gala dinners can also be held in a nearby castle or on the beach. Of course, we can stage a reception from start to finish, from the choice of crockery to the decoration, including the entertainment and the meals prepared by Michelin-starred chefs,\" says \u00c9ric Fouquet.<\/p>\n
The Partouche group, the other major group along with Lucien Barri\u00e8re and Jaogroupe to share a large share of the casino market, also opened a sales office for businesses in Lyon in 2006, as sales manager Adeline Roux explains. \"Our actions range from advice to assistance in organising an event, including decoration... We work mainly on a made-to-measure basis, in particular with holiday packages. We have 53 casinos, around twenty hotels, five spas, two golf courses and a spa. In our casinos, customers will find themed restaurants and auditoriums seating from 500 to 1,600. Some of our sites are even estates: Forges-les-Eaux in Haute-Normandie, Contrex\u00e9ville in the Vosges and Divonneles-Bains just a few minutes from Geneva! To rejuvenate the image of its casinos and make them more user-friendly, the Partouche group has put its faith in poker. Customers can play Texas Hold'em Poker at 42 of its sites. This game is very popular with young people. In November 2007, Partouche also launched the Partouche Poker Tour, a national poker tournament that will culminate in a grand final at the Palm Beach casino in Cannes in September 2008. \"Poker is not only a very trendy game, but also a strategic one, which makes it very interesting for companies to take advantage of. So, on a regular basis, we privatise certain areas to create poker tournament events with professional croupiers. Of course, these competitions take place outside the gaming room and there is no money involved. In the same way, we can, on request, organise presentations of traditional games with the authorisation of the local authorities and under very specific conditions\", explains Adeline Roux.<\/p>\n
Other groups, such as Joagroupe, France's third-largest group, which has undertaken a complete overhaul and refocusing of its product offering. Or \u00c9meraude, which is refurbishing its sites, as Sales Director Maureen Rodon explains. \"In 2006, we opened our Saint-Br\u00e9vin-les-Pins facility after completely refurbishing it and adding a business centre with five meeting rooms seating between 10 and 260 people and an amphitheatre for 258. Eventually, all eight of our French locations will be refurbished and adapted to the business clientele that is currently our focus for development.\"<\/p>\n
After Saint-Br\u00e9vin-les-Pins, it's the turn of Bagnoles-de-l'Orne to undergo some refurbishment work. \"We've just opened a lounge caf\u00e9, ideal for a late-night drink. We're also redoing the five meeting rooms and 75 bedrooms in our three-star hotel, just as we did at Lonsle-Saulnier. But what sets our sites apart is their privileged location: facing a lake or the sea. For example, our casino at Ch\u00e2telaillon- Plage in Charente-Maritimes, which was refurbished in 2007, now boasts a huge Eiffel-style veranda overlooking the ocean, while the casino at Bourbonne-les-Bains in Haute-Marne is completely new! And everywhere companies find a single point of contact who deals with their requests from A to Z,\" points out Maureen Rodon.<\/p>\n
For Pascal Devarine-Bohan, General Secretary of the Tranchant Group, it is clear that the business clientele, including incentives, is booming in the casino market. \"We are welcoming more and more congresses and seminars interested in the festive, original aspect and the unity of the premises. This is a logical development, because although our core business remains gambling, we are also entertainment professionals, and in some regions even the sole source of entertainment! For example, at the Amn\u00e9ville-les-Thermes casino in Lorraine, we organise major events, including Star Ac! Once again, to meet demand, the group is renovating its sites. For example, the casino at Luc-sur-Mer now has reception rooms, while those at Pougues-les-Eaux, Cagnes-sur-Mer and Le Grau-du-Roi are equipped with new infrastructure, including meeting and gala rooms. More and more hotels are being opened by casinos,\" notes Pascal Devarine-Bohan. Similarly, the trend is to develop activities that are ancillary to gambling. For example, all our restaurants are independent of the gaming halls, which means we can cater for minors and families. Some establishments have cinemas, theatres, etc.\" Another way for companies to offer their guests a casino evening without the constraints imposed in public establishments is to create the event in a private room.<\/p>\n
\"We regularly organise Las Vegas-style casino or theme evenings for our clients. Generally speaking, although the target audience is mainly male, it doesn't take long for the women to get into the game - just as much as the men!\" explains Charlotte Moulin, from the MCI Geneva agency. The guests learn the rules, find out what's involved and... play along! We introduce them to real casino games, with all their attractions and the advantage of being able to play again, without the inconvenience of losing money! It's an excellent way of democratising gambling, while contributing to our agency's image of chic and elegance\". What's more, according to Charlotte Moulin, these animations ensure 100 % of satisfaction. \"They create interactive links, they're catchy and perfect for the way the evening unfolds.\" C\u00e9line Jamet, events project manager at the Boulevard de la Stim agency, organised a poker tournament in February for Ornis, a telecommunications and IT services operator. \"At the end of a gala evening at the Ch\u00e2teau d'Ermenonville, attended by all the company's employees, we invited the guests to take part in the tournament. Of the hundred or so guests present, 70 signed up! Four people hosted the competition, which everyone could follow live. Depending on how well they qualified, participants received varying amounts of poker-related prizes, with a trophy for the overall winner. At the same time, we set up a competition, with Las Vegas as the first prize. For C\u00e9line Jamet, the operation was a success. \"The event coupled with the challenge was extremely unifying. Players and non-players alike took an interest in the tournament and have fond memories of the evening. It's true that poker is ideal as a motivational tool, because in just a few minutes newbies can learn the basic rules and have fun.\"<\/p>\n
In the same spirit, but in a different genre, Madiba! Incentive offers its customers wine casinos. It's an event that's played on real gaming tables, but they're transformed into game-tasting tables!\" explains Matthieu Bouquet, in charge of research. At the start of the event, we give each participant a tasting glass and game tokens for their initial stake. Then the players meet up at each table with the croupier-sommelier who organises the game. The number of tables varies according to the number of participants. The guests rotate through the tables. For example, at the French wine tasting table, after the taste test, they have to place a bet on the region of origin. At the wine bouquet table, they have to use their noses to recognise the aroma of a red or white wine: lemon, vanilla, blackcurrant...\".<\/p>\n
At the end of the games, an auctioneer orchestrates an auction where everyone can bid for wine gifts according to their winnings (tokens). \"This event is ideal as an aperitif or in the evening, and can be set up anywhere,\" says Matthieu Fouquet. Of course, everything is done in moderation...<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The gambling market is a veritable goose that lays golden eggs for all countries, without exception. France's 197 casinos, which represent the third-largest sector of this market, generated gross revenue of \u20ac2.8 billion - i.e. the sums invested in gambling after payment of winnings - a large proportion of which comes from [...].<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[],"type-darticle":[],"n_magazine":[],"class_list":["post-8819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-meetings-et-evenements","vapo-free"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n