Belgium’s Ardent Group has purchased 44 percent of Swiss casino operator Stadtcasino Baden AG’s Casino Davos in anticipation of the launch of legal online gambling in Switzerland.
Stadtcasino will retain a 46 percent stake in the venue, while the Davos Tourism Organization will own the remaining 10 percent.
Stadtcasino Baden officials said the move was a “strategic decision” to utilize Ardent’s “many years of online casino experience.” In addition to land-based operations, Ardent operates six different online platforms in multiple jurisdictions, including Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Colombia.
Grand Casino Baden has spent around CHF500k to launch a free-play online casino site r that is powered by Ardent’s B2B division Gaming1, according to a report at CalvinAyre.com.
Swiss citizens will vote June 10 on whether to approve the country’s new online gambling laws, which would restrict online casino operations to companies that have partnered with local land-based casinos.
If approved, Stadtcasino Baden CEO Detlef Brose said his company will “immediately and together with our new partner develop a competitive online offer.”
