Six Bids Filed to Buy Mauritius's Loss-Making State Casinos

Mauritius is moving to privatise its four state-owned casinos after a decade of mounting losses, with the government now confirming it has received six formal bids from prospective buyers. The offers — five from foreign investors and one from a local Mauritian operator — cover the acquisition of the four casinos owned by Casinos de Mauritius Ltd: Le Grand Casino Du Domaine, the Caudan Waterfront Casino, Casino De Maurice, and Grand Baie Casino. **Who owns these casinos now?** The casinos are currently majority-owned by the State Investment Corporation (SIC), a government-controlled investment body, and managed day-to-day by SIC Management Services Co Ltd. In effect, Mauritian taxpayers have been the ultimate backers of these establishments. **The financial case for privatisation** The numbers tell a stark story. Over the ten years to 2025, the four casinos accumulated combined losses of nearly Rs 1.9 billion. In the financial year ending June 2025 alone, losses reached Rs 272 million — followed by a further Rs 121 million in the subsequent six months. To keep the casinos operational during this period, the SIC injected Rs 1.3 billion of public funds into their operations between 2015 and 2025. Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam has been openly critical of this model, describing it as structurally unviable. The government's position is clear: continuing to subsidise loss-making gambling establishments is no longer acceptable, and private operators are better placed to turn the businesses around. **What happens to casino workers?** The fate of employees is one of the most sensitive aspects of the privatisation process. The casinos employ a significant number of staff, and any change of ownership raises questions about job security, redundancy terms, and whether new operators would honour existing employment conditions. The government has indicated that workers' futures are central to the evaluation of bids, though specific protections have not yet been publicly confirmed. **What this means** For Mauritius, this privatisation signals a broader government intent to reduce its footprint in commercially unviable state enterprises. If a deal is concluded, it would end decades of public ownership of the casino sector and bring in private — likely international — expertise and capital. For potential investors, the four properties represent established gambling venues in prime locations: the Caudan Waterfront in Port Louis, the tourist hub of Grand Baie, and two other sites. The challenge will be restructuring operations to achieve profitability that has eluded public management for years. The government is expected to assess the six bids on financial value, investor track record, and commitments made to existing staff before selecting a preferred buyer or buyers. Source: ION News