Salon de jeux de Québec: also charges that the Casino of Charlevoix

Photo By Pascal Huot
Between 1 April and 31 December 2017, ridership on the games Lounge of Quebec has passed the milestone of 500 000 visitors.

Pierre Couture

Friday, 9 march 2018, 00:00

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Friday, 9 march 2018, 00:00

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Loto-Québec has the happy hand with its gaming Lounge in Quebec city, which has doubled its revenue since 2014. It now generates almost as much money as the Casino de Charlevoix.

During the first nine months of the financial year 2017-2018, the Salon de jeux de Québec has achieved revenues of $ 33 million compared to $ 34 million for the Casino of Charlevoix, reveal the most recent financial statements of the corporation.

In 2013-2014, the turnover of the Salon de jeux de Québec had reached $ 15.2 million after nine months of activity.

It is important to know that the Casino de Charlevoix has many more employees and expenses that the Parlor games of Quebec where the croupiers are absent in the tables of game.

500 000 visitors

In the course of the last year, ridership on the games Lounge of Quebec has jumped from 5 % to cross the milestone of 500 000 visitors between 1 April and 31 December last.

During this same period, in Charlevoix, to generate substantially the same revenue, 745 000 visitors passed through the doors of the Casino, says Loto-Quebec.

“The fact that the ridership and revenue of the Salon de jeux de Québec is on the increase does not represent bad news for the Casino of Charlevoix,” maintains the spokesperson for Loto-Quebec, Marisol Schnorr.

According to the company Status, this situation may generate opportunities for the Casino so that groups of buses are organized to Charlevoix in a period of suroffre at the Salon de jeux de Québec.

Last year, the Salon de jeux de Québec recorded an operating profit of 18.2 %.

Not magnification

Moreover, Loto-Quebec denies the rumors more persistent of which want its games Lounge of the province of Quebec moved into a larger local centre commercial Fleur de Lys.

“There is no expansion or relocation of the gaming Lounge of Quebec “, stated the spokesman of Loto-Québec.

The closure of the big stores, banner Sears and The Hudson Bay leaves a large void at the shopping center Fleur de Lys.

The Salon de jeux de Québec occupies an area of 32 000 square feet while its payment service to winners extends to over 6000 square feet.

In 2014, during the relocation of the gaming Lounge at Québec, Loto-Québec deemed the moving expenses to $8.8 million.

Salon de jeux de Québec

• Number of devices: 335

• Revenue last year: $39.8 million

• Operating income in the last year: 18.2 percent

• Number of employees: Approximately 150

Source : Loto-Québec

A disputed site, according to the public Health

The site currently occupied by the Salon de jeux de Québec remains controversial.

In 2014, during the relocation of the gaming Lounge of the site of ExpoCité to the shopping centre, Fleur-de-Lys, the Direction de santé publique de la Capitale-Nationale had decried the choice of location made by Loto-Québec.

“The decision will not contribute to reduce social inequalities in health in an area already compromised “, said the regional director of public health in the National Capital, Dr. François Desbiens.

According to the latter, the area of Vanier and its surroundings are among the poorest parts of Quebec.

In this context, expose these citizens to the games Lounge and video lottery terminals (VLTS) was not the idea of the century. The institution remains easy to access and is located in a shopping center.

As demonstrated by the data of Loto-Québec, the Salon de jeux de Québec generates a lot of money and attracts many players since his move.

The Salon de jeux de Québec, the number of gaming devices has not diminished since 2014, up from 302 to 335 currently.

Tourism sector

The public Health would have liked to see the Salon de jeux de Québec settle in a tourist sector, or in an environment where the residents have more money to devote to this type of activity.

According to the public Health, the players who play on the VLT’s are the ones who are most likely to develop addiction problems in games of chance. Up to 20 % of them are at risk of becoming pathological gamblers, estimated.

Withdrawal of 500 devices

Loto-Québec said they had a plan, which always includes the removal of 500 VLTS by December 31, next year in Quebec.

In less than two years, between December 2016 and December 2018, Loto-Québec specified that the number of VLTS will be increased from 11 063 to less than 10,000 in the network of bars.

In its commitments, Loto-Québec says to aim for a maximum of two institutions, the operator of the VLT 5000 inhabitants and a maximum of two TERMINALS per 1000 inhabitants.

Yesterday, Dr. Desbiens was not available for comment on the case.