If the players who frequent its casinos must be vaccinated, Loto-Québec does not intend to force the employees there to do the same. The state-owned company ignores the vaccine coverage rate of its employees, but believes it is similar for the general population.
“This is a sensitive subject as we can see everywhere and the employer does not have all the mechanisms to impose it,” replied Jean-François Bergeron, its President and CEO, during a interview with The Canadian Press in connection with the release of first quarter results.
For the moment, Mr. Bergeron is relying on public health directives. He does not intend to ask the government to allow Loto-Quebec to impose the vaccination passport on its employees who work in its casinos, reopened since mid-June.
The crown corporation did not conduct a survey to find out the vaccination rate of its employees. His big boss believes that anonymous surveys carried out in other companies and the vaccination rate of the population give him a good idea of the vaccination coverage of his employees. The vaccination rate of 77.5% in Quebec leads it to believe that the vast majority of its employees are vaccinated. “For now, that satisfies us. “
Mr. Bergeron insists that the facilities are safe for customers and employees. “The employees in the play areas have their masks on. There was no outbreak. The file is fairly well managed from a security point of view. “
The reception of customers, who must present the vaccination passport, is done in a “fairly fluid” way in casinos and gaming rooms, adds the manager, who took office on May 31 after having headed the Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC).
Strong recovery at Loto-Québec
Mr. Bergeron is optimistic about the 2021-2022 fiscal year. He points out that Loto-Québec’s contribution to the Quebec public treasury is nearly 60% of its usual level in the first quarter. Management anticipates that this threshold will rise to 80% for the current fiscal year. “We are looking forward to the future. “
In the first quarter (ended June 28), consolidated net income reached $ 196 million, an increase of $ 260 million compared to the loss of $ 64 million for the same period last year. This figure is still 42% lower than the pre-pandemic year.
Revenues, for their part, were up 154.9%, or $ 243.9 million, to $ 401.3 million. This is 38.8% less than during the pre-pandemic year. The lottery remains the most important source of revenue, up 171.6% to 284.3 million.
Reopening of casinos
The reopening of the casinos in mid-June will have made it possible to recall nearly 2,500 of the approximately 4,271 employees who were on temporary layoff. Almost 35% of employees remain to be recalled. About 5% have decided not to return, but the company believes that figure will rise to 10% in the end.
Currently, the capacity of casinos has been reduced by 50% to comply with health guidelines. Some of its restaurants have also not reopened, so the company has yet to recall all of its employees.
Loto-Québec is also considering the food offer in its casinos. Last April, she announced that she was ending her partnership with L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon. More generally, management is considering the offer of fine cuisine in all of its establishments. Several concepts are being considered, in particular concepts inspired by “ food-trucks ».
Mr. Bergeron hopes to test concepts within the next six months, but specifies that he is not “jostling” because of the limited reception capacity linked to COVID-19. “The reflection is in progress, it is not final, but it will surely bring changes for us, very interesting changes. “
Loto-Québec is also discussing with its partners with a view to presenting shows at the Casino de Montréal, while respecting health rules.
Fight against organized crime
The reopening of casinos also brings the issue of money laundering back to the agenda. The media had revealed that members of organized crime had used the casinos to launder money. Last June, an external report submitted to the government made 40 recommendations to tackle it.
Loto-Québec welcomes the report and says it has taken certain measures even before its publication.
Mr. Bergeron specifies that some of the alleged facts go back several years. He recognizes that a place where large flows of money circulate, such as a casino, may be the target of organized crime. He ensures that Loto-Québec adapts its practices to combat money laundering, but that members of organized crime are also adapting their practices. “It’s a bit of a cat and mouse game. “
Among the measures adopted recently, the amounts of deposits authorized without due diligence have increased from $ 10,000 to $ 3,000. “It dramatically increases the number of checks that are done. It makes life much more difficult for those who want to launder money. It goes less well under the radar. “
He adds that the security system has been updated with cameras providing better picture quality. The company is also working on a change in its computer systems to replace tokens with point cards. This would ensure that the tokens can no longer leave the playing areas as a bargaining chip for criminal activities. “It’s really an amalgamation of efforts. We set the bar high. “
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