Le Pasino Drive : une solution innovante du groupe Partouche pour surmonter la crise

Launched in 1973 by Isidore Partouche, the eponymous group is a French leisure company (casinos, thermal baths, restaurants, hotels) with 38 casinos in France and 42 in Europe. The “Pasinos”, a name coined by Isidore Partouche, designate complexes dedicated to entertainment with games, shows or event spaces open to all.

For a year now, the company, like its competitors in the sector, has been facing an economic crisis resulting from the current health situation. Pasino de la Grande Motte lost nearly half of its turnover during the year 2020 due to restrictions linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Partouche drive-mode casino

To compensate for part of the losses linked to its closure, the Pasino de La Grande Motte in the Hérault department has set up an innovative system in its car park, similar to a “drive”. The concept that makes the director of Pasino, Benjamin Abou proud, consists of 17 heated and decorated tents. With access to drinks and coffee machines, they house game machines that can be used privately:

• casters;
• electronic blackjack;
• poker machines;
• slot machines.

In short, it is therefore a mini casino that awaits customers (two to five people) in the tent so that they can play while enjoying the same comfort as in the casino. Upon arrival, customers are directed to one of the 17 boxes where they park their car.

And, of course, health security has been fully thought out: everything is disinfected between each customer who has no contact with the staff.

A solution to maintain jobs

Most of the staff at Pasino de La Grande Motte, 130 employees, are on short-time work. After 6 months of closure, the situation is very difficult. With this drive, the Pasino de la Grande Motte hopes to see the end of the tunnel. The investment in the rental of the boxes and their cabling is 200,000 euros. The gaming machines come from the casino.

The entire sector is at a standstill and has no date or near prospect of reopening. Not to mention that this closure of several months worries the management who fears that regaining the level of frequentation of its casinos will take months, even years. The situation is similar among competing groups where layoffs appear to be increasingly imminent.

An opening pending authorization

The group must obtain various authorizations for a so-called derogatory opening: that of the gaming police, the town hall and the prefecture. After a major communication campaign, the Pasino Drive in La Grande Motte is ready to start and awaits validation from the prefect. Without this green light, impossible to open this drive.

If the idea germinated in the heads of Pasino leaders in order to offer their customers an alternative solution and to keep the activity, the group also hopes to attract new customers who do not generally go to casinos. The founders of this contactless casino, in addition to congratulating themselves on its innovative character, firmly believe in it. So much so that the concept is intended to continue after the health crisis. And who knows, maybe he will also emulate the Partouche group.