ISA-CASINOS, Editor of Chief, Reinhold Schmitt: What pursuance of your function of profession are you in, now?
Detlef Brose: I am CEO (Chief Executive) of the Grandcasino Baden.
ISA-CASINOS: Are you active in terms of any other sphere of the Casino industries, too?
Brose: No, I am not.
ISA-CASINOS: As you are yet since a longer period of time performing in the domain of Casinos: What were the most significant alterations?
Brose: The trend of the Grand Jeu towards the Slot-machine-gaming. The change in management positions from the former Technical Manager to the Casino Manager with a significant extend of the profile of prerequisite.
ISA-CASINOS: Which games are offered in your houses?
Brose: There are three variants (a fourth and completely new variant is planned), Black Jack, Poker in different variants (Caribbean Stud is planned), Baccarat Chemin de fer and Punto Banco, Sic Bo. We do think about Craps.
ISA-CASINOS: Which picture with the Grand Casino Baden would you like to attain in public?
Brose: Our philosophy is to combine the gaming-technical quality with highly-quality of Gastronomy and Entertainment. We like to claim our state of being the leader of the trade in Switzerland as well as qualitative with regard on revenue, either to be recognised as such in public.
ISA-CASINOS: How was it to cope to come up to the expectations since the opening of the Casino?
Brose: We were exceeding the expectations remarkably within the first two years beyond the terms of Budget.
ISA-CASINOS: What has the Casino Arosa been doing wrong and the Casino Baden right? Does it depend on the restrictions about the concessions?
Brose: The Casino in Arosa had hardly any commuter belt, whereas the situation after the opening of the Casino of Bad Ragaz has even got worse. Additionally the tourism has been clearly overrated.
We have beside our actual micro-location, the Casino with the play-halls, and we have with the highly qualified personnel of ours the millions-marketplace Zürich as an essentially better catchment area, i.e. commuter belt just nearby.
ISA-CASINOS: Time and again there is some question of the high density of Casinos in Europe. Do you think that all Casinos in Switzerland can survive economically, in spite of the partly bad start?
Brose: Well, almost all of the Casinos in Switzerland have got a very good chance to do so. With the forthcoming appeal of decree of the Game of Chance there should additionally the situation for B-Casinos be fundamentally improved though. So are the Mountain-Casinos going to be facing difficulties in future, because of their weak commuter belt, i.e. catchment area.
ISA-CASINOS: How do you sentence the first results of the Swiss Casinos?
Brose: The results lay within the framework of expectations. It is to be reasoned that the Casinos-market, particularly that of the Grand Jeu, is new.
ISA-CASINOS: What do you say concerning the present reformation plans in favour of the B-Casinos?
Brose: As a distortion of the market to charge on with the A-Casinos. The A-Casinos within the Grand Jeu are to be founded on fact equalised, following the present suggestion. By that Switzerland has at least within this area a very high “Gaming-Table-Density” comparing to e.g. Germany. The most momentous alterations are just improving the conditions of the B-Casinos.
ISA-CASINOS: Do you see any opportunities in order to improve the attractivity of Gaming-locations, either by alterations on the side of the legislation?
Brose: We were hoping that also our suggestions on the improvement of the framework-conditions of the Grand Jeu of the A-Casinos would be considered within the Revision. This has only been considered in the point of possibility to develop new Game variants or Jackpot-Games and to let them be approved by the ESBK.
ISA-CASINOS: How do you asses the Casino district of nowadays?
Brose: The Casino landscape lays in a clear mutation. By the alteration of the contemporary prevailing taste that gets along with the “digital” era the casinos have to adjust them to it. The time in which Casinos were offering only Gaming tables, is over. Today there is a good management in the Casinos, a high quality of the personnel and of the products and not at least the integration of the Slot-machines-Casinos as a very important profit-factor inevitable.
ISA-CASINOS: Machine-games reach only by its technical innovation a permanently higher popularity. The classical Game is not attractive anymore, isn’t it?
Brose: Well, both areas have its own attraction. The devices offer beside their ever better getting Hard- and Software interesting game animations. Furthermore there are at very low bids although very high profits and Jackpot in the amount of millions possible.
The Grand Jeu has still kept its differing attraction. Here are the still interesting completion of the games by the Croupiers, a higher rate in communicating, Tournaments and the atmosphere of the gaming halls premised in the foreground.
ISA-CASINOS: The Gaming devices are following suit down to trends. Is it making sense for you to do the permanent adjustment to youngest (or latest) generations or is there premised more the accustomed Gaming in the foreground?
Brose: Both is important. It was a surprise to us that there have some successful gaming systems in Germany been hardly sustaining against those that were introduced in Switzerland a longer time ago. The adaption on the latest generation and the permanently optimised gaming offer of ours are standing at the first place for our Gambling Machines’ Casino.
ISA-CASINOS: Are the branch-establishment prospective for future?
Brose: Basically branch-establishments have the advantage of e.g. synergies regarding disposition of human resources, marketing or products-purchase. So there are the branch-establishments remaining for an ingenious possibility of extending of the businesses.
ISA-CASINOS: Certainly there are attending always less of the interested ones. Many complain about the over-risen starting money bids in Europe. Do you see here any demand for action?
Brose: The Grand Casino Baden takes either not any starting money at all, or is very low. Hence there is not any need for action at ours.
ISA-CASINOS: Are there any extension planned in the gaming offer domain?
Brose: Yes, there are. We are planning the extent of our gaming offer with Caribbean Stud Poker. Additionally we are about to be testing an innovative variant of Roulette with a 1.500-fold pay-out-ratio.
ISA-CASINOS: The well trained personnel represent the Non-plus-ultra within the Casino-industry. How does the educational and recruiting program of the Swiss Casino personnel look like?
Brose: We do spend a high amount with six-digits each year on education of our personnel. Among these educational programs are subsidised courses by law within the social concept and the money-washing-law as well as in game-techniques, courses in service or management education. We are fond of promoting our personnel, because of only our well trained personnel can fulfil the high prerequisites in quality.
ISA-CASINOS: The economical descent down-hill drive could not yet been brought to a halt. What impact does it have also on your Casinos?
Brose: That doesn’t relate to us and we do have two very successful business years behind us. However we would be very pleased by an improvement of the economical situation.
ISA-CASINOS: Meanwhile the internet takes on remarkable space within the information-flow for consumers. How do your activities look like?
Brose: Our internet-performance is very informative bias an attractive Design. Beside detailed information on the Grand Casino Baden and our products we are very anxious about proximity of information, so events and tournaments could be available at any time. At present we are optimising our performance.
ISA-CASINOS: What is your statement to Online-Casinos and would you be ambitious in this sector?
Brose: No activities, because in Switzerland Internet Casinos are forbidden by law.
ISA-CASINOS: More and more Casinos are following suit the problem of gambling addiction and meet doing so their social charge to a society’s approval. What kind of activities do you support in this regard in your house?
Brose: First of all there is here our Social concept to be mentioned. We set the success of the plans with permanent education of the personnel and further development of the system. This happens in cooperation with the College for Social Affairs (HSA) in Luzern as well as the Casinos in Bern and Luzern.
ISA-CASINOS: With the notion “Casinos” and “Gambling house” the consumer combines not only the ambient but also the fortune of great prize. Of what great distributions that your guests could realise, do you remember?
Brose: 2,5 Mio. CHF at the Swiss Jackpot and approximately 500.000 CHF daily prize at the Roulette in the Grand Jeu.
ISA-CASINOS: Casinos and Gambling Houses are on the one hand associated with chatoyant ambient, on the other hand horrible stories about losses in untenable high amounts from the visitors lead to negative impressions. What ought to be done in your opinion, in order to bring the interior view of gambling houses and casinos closer to the population?
Brose: The decline of barriers e.g. an up-to-date dress-code, game-winnings (also without bids) or targeted support of initial visitors.
ISA-CASINOS: Until some years ago there has been a strict dress-code valid for the visiting of the casinos. In the meantime eased off but nevertheless the most houses also today still give much value on great evening wardrobe. How do you see this?
Brose: Our regulation doesn’t designate either ties and of course no Smoking or dinner suit. We like to prefer to leave it up to our guests, how they are dressed in their leisure time. Desired is just a jacket for the Gentlemen.
ISA-CASINOS: Are you a Player, or why did you just choose this job, what fascinates you so on it?
Brose: I like very much to gamble, however mostly just for fun. In Casinos I rather play in order to try out the games. I am fascinated by the gaming fun and the attraction of the prize.
ISA-CASINOS: What comes in your mind when you think about amusing occasions during your work?
Brose: A guest in his First-Confirmation-suit lays his bid of 1.000 DM and wins on red. Afterwards he has disappeared rejoicing loudly with his shout: „Yess-Sirr, I can go on holiday.“
At the Seven Card Stud I was giving one quadruplet in a game to two guests. In the Pot there were about 40.000 DM.
ISA-CASINOS: If you had three wishes free, what comes in your mind spontaneously apart from the wealth?
Brose: Health, fortune and eternal youth.
ISA-CASINOS: How does your remedial exercise in your leisure time look like?
Brose: Sports (Soccer-/Foot-ball and Jogging)
ISA-CASINOS: Thank you very much for this conversation.