Canesi: “We want to give a signal of a return to normality, a return to opening”
Mayor Roberto Canesi announced the reopening of Casino di Campione last week, as a signal from the municipality for the whole community that in three years has lost practically everything including austerity measures imposed by Commissioner Zanzi. In the opening. Las Wednesday, the gambling house advertised 174 jobs: less than half of the staff employed before the bankruptcy, but this is another sign of restart of the whole system.
After 3 years of darkness, to everyone’s surprise, the Casino di Campione last night returned to light up. Not just a technical test of the status of LED panels. Mayor Canesi said: “We want to give a signal of a return to normality, of return to opening. We intend to reopen the Casino by the end of the year, so we decided to start turning on the lights again.”
Proof of the intention to reopen de Italian property is the exhibition dedicated to the artists of Campione at the civic gallery: “We thought of reopening at least one door, which is that of the civic gallery – said Alessandra Bernasconi, a former employee of the gambling house -. All the artists from Campione came and lent themselves to make this exhibition with the support of the Municipality. We opened yesterday, and it was a nice surprise because at the same time they also lit up the Casino. After three years like this, with the pandemic as well, seeing a country that moves has raised the spirits ».
After weeks of negotiations, Campione d’Italia reached an agreement with the unions for a new collective agreement that will be applied to the workers of the Casino. The last step for the reopening of the gambling house, closed from 27 July 2018 was taken by the Bankruptcy Court of Como. The new agreement, signed by all the trade unions except Fisascat Cisl which called itself out, “because the margins for workers were too tight, especially from an economic point of view”, provides for a basic salary of 3,600 Swiss francs, equal to 3,400 euros, significantly lower than the 6 thousand gross francs provided for in the old agreement for croupiers.
The Casino di Campione will also be the first gambling house in Italy where workers will have to give some concessions to the administration as it was the only way, according to the sole administrator, Marco Abrosini, to remain on the very narrow path traced by the judges during the continuity agreement. Now that the agreement has been reached, there is a croupier recruitment drive to rebuild the structure in order to deal with the players. “A historic moment for our entire community – underlines the councillor Paolo Bortoluzzi who is also a former employee – Now that the Casino reopens, we can return to look to the future with confidence”.
This Casinò Campione d’Italia has appointed the new board of directors. Erminia Rosa Cesari, as Chairman, with Marco Ambrosini, former sole director of the gaming house, and Carmine Garzia, as directors. In the coming days, the company will provide for the final formalization necessary for the updating of the business register. It will be up to the new Board of Directors to proceed with the appointment of the new CEO who will almost certainly be Marco Ambrosini.
The aim is to proceed with hirings, in view of the reopening set by the end of the year. Casino di Campione has decided to rent bars and shops, part of the real estate complex built by the architect star Mario Botta, on the first and fifth floors of the building. It also happened in the past, but even more so today that the gambling house has been closed for over three years and the restart conditioned by the need to repay debts for over one hundred million euros, putting a little hay in the farmhouse through the rents of commercial activities becomes a necessity.
Shops and offices in an area of 3,092 sqm will be leased for commercial purposes, but excluding, “cell phone sales, money transfer, sex shop, low quality items, discount, games room or betting collection agency, massage centre” and any other activity “for the methods of sale or for the types of goods offered for sale that does not comply with the value required within the gaming house, or even if only potentially in competition or contrast with the activity of the casino.
The Casino Campione d’Italia wants to become a reference point not only for players, but also for lovers of good food and fashion. A showcase for luxury and high-end Italian products in the heart of the Canton of Ticino.
