Managers of Casino di Campione d’Italia in Como have formulated a plan to reopen the historic gaming hall in September. They must sign off on a plan to pay off past-due debts of €130 million (US$157 million) by the end of 2027, and also adhere to cost-saving measures that will help return the operation to fiscal health.
According to CDC Gaming Reports, the casino would reopen with 170 employees, down from the 500 it employed when it closed in July 2018. It would add an additional 100 staff members by 2026.
“Finally hearing about the reopening of the casino is certainly something positive,” said Vincenzo Falanga, general secretary of the Italian labor union UIL FPL del Lario. “Unfortunately, the proposals coincide with a time when all casinos and gambling halls are closed due to the pandemic. Certainly the union will try to do its part, as always, alongside the people. There are still many who have not managed to relocate in these almost three years of closure of the casino.”
Marco Ambrosini, director of the casino’s management company, issued his own statement that addressed the consequences of casino’s closure for the local work force. “I ask you to evaluate these proposals with great attention, they seem balanced and favorable to workers,” he said. “We are all in the same boat and should reach the same goal.”
