CAI opens Vincendo mini casino in Meran, Italy

After the ceremonial cutting of the red ribbon, guests at the gala opening were treated to a superb evening of entertainment and culinary delights by top chef Albert Gross. The festivities continued throughout the weekend with an “open day” on 30 April and entertainment on an open air stage – giving local residents and tourist visitors the chance to experience the superb facilities for themselves.

Director Alexander Artmann is confident that Vincendo Meran will quickly become a popular destination both for locals and for visitors to the town: “We have a great gaming mix with 60 video lottery terminals (VLTs), sports betting and some exciting jackpot opportunities. We will be combining this with a warm welcome, friendly service and an attractive bar and cocktail lounge. With the right level of personal service, a VLT outlet can be far more than just a slot parlor, and we are certain our venue will be a valuable addition to the Meran entertainment scene and provide the town with a further great tourist attraction.

Artmann, who has worked for Casinos Austria since 1988, heads up a team of ten highly trained staff at Vincendo Meran. He also emphasized the importance of responsible gaming at the venue: “In addition to great entertainment and service, we will also be placing a clear emphasis on responsible gaming and the protection of minors, in line with the established Casinos Austria philosophy.”

Casinos Austria International CFO Josef Leutgeb was delighted about the opening of the first Vincendo mini casino in South Tyrol: “Casinos Austria International is known for its high standards of service, entertainment and responsible gaming, and we obviously want to continue this tradition in this beautiful spa town. Many people in South Tyrol are already familiar with our company,” explained Leutgeb. “So they know they can expect the very best. To build on and emphasize these links, we are working closely with Director Kurt Steger and his team at Casino Innsbruck on this project to ensure optimal know-how transfer.”

Vincendo Meran is operated by Azzurro Gaming, a joint venture between Casinos Austria International and Italian gaming provider Cogetech. “Cogetech is one of ten companies licensed to operate VLTs in Italy, and we are proud to be part of this joint venture with Casinos Austria International. Through our Azzurro Gaming subsidiary, we will ultimately operate a total of 1,800 VLTs in exclusive venues across the whole of Italy,” said Fabio Schiavolin, CEO of Cogetech and President of Azzurro Gaming.

The first Vincendo mini casino opened in Milan in December 2010. Further outlets are due to open in Ancona (100 VLTs) and Varese (70 VLTs) in June 2011 and in Prato (100 VLTs) in July 2011.