Holland Casino has officially launched construction on a new casino venue at Businesspark Ter Borch, marking a significant milestone following the devastating fire that destroyed its previous Groningen site in 2017.
At a ground-breaking ceremony held on Friday, company employees, construction partners, and local officials gathered to celebrate the occasion. Petra de Ruiter, the chief executive of Holland Casino, highlighted the importance of this project after several years of extensive planning.
"Today, together, we are taking an important step towards the future of Holland Casino Groningen," de Ruiter stated. "Here, we are not only building a new building, but also a place where guests feel welcome and where our employees can work with pride."
The mayor of Tynaarlo, Marcel Thijsen, emphasized the regional significance of the development, noting its potential to bolster the growth of Businesspark Ter Borch. The venue's location adjacent to the A7 motorway is expected to enhance accessibility for visitors from Groningen, Drenthe, and nearby regions.
Holland Casino plans for the new establishment to focus on sustainability, accessibility, and hospitality, aligning the design with modern guest preferences. However, specific details regarding the construction timeline, opening date, capacity, or project costs remain undisclosed.
Richard van den Broek, an employee of Holland Casino, expressed his enthusiasm at the ceremony, stating he was "relieved that it is finally starting and can’t wait to walk in here."
In the context of its ongoing development, Holland Casino, which is the state-owned operator of the Netherlands’ regulated casino market, has been without a permanent venue in Groningen since the 2017 fire. In 2023, the company chose Businesspark Ter Borch as its preferred relocation site.
The casino’s new location is approximately a 40-minute drive from the border of Germany, which is significant due to the interest from German visitors in Holland Casino’s offerings. In a statement made to iGB in September, de Ruiter noted, "German visitors are really interested because we have a different offer from most of the German casinos."
She described the distinct appeal: "If you look at our land-based casinos, it’s table games, slots, in some cases bingo and, on some evenings, poker. But there are also restaurants, entertainment. It’s an afternoon or evening out. And as I understand from our German guests, it’s a more entertaining evening or afternoon than in some German casinos."
As it embarks on this new venue, Holland Casino has received a five-year extension for its online gambling license, ensuring the availability of its online gambling portfolio in the regulated Dutch market until at least 2031.
De Ruiter reaffirmed the company’s commitment to a secure and responsible online gambling environment, prioritizing player protection. She remarked, "It remains essential that the regulated market is attractive enough to keep players away from unregulated providers, where supervision and protection are lacking."
