This year will mark the 10th anniversary of the Grand Casino Brussels Viage opening its doors in Boulevard Anspach.
The decade has been a challenging one, but this year, the casino and its owners Casinos Austria International (CAI) have something to celebrate, as the entertainment complex has enjoyed its most successful year to date.
About the Grand
The Grand Casino has been part of Brussels nightlife since 2006, but moved to its current central location in 2010. It’s by far the largest casino in Brussels, and with a total are of 12,000 square metres split over seven floors, is one of the largest in all of Europe.
Five of the floors are devoted to traditional casino games. There are around 400 slot machines, plus 47 tables where you can play all the old favourites, including stud poker, blackjack, baccarat and roulette. Poker tournaments are a regular feature and attract some of the top players from Belgium and beyond.
The top two floors serve as function rooms, and provide a breath-taking view of the city. You’ll also find a choice of bars and eateries within the casino complex. As if all that were not enough, there is a full-size theatre with regular shows.
The evolving casino market
Casino gaming has always been a popular pastime among the rich and famous. But the internet age has raised its profile among a far wider audience. That sounds like positive news for a land-based casino like the Grand Viage, but it is something of a two-edged sword in as much as the online alternatives can also compete with land-based casinos for business. Finding a competitive edge is all-important, and is an area in which the Grand struggled during its formative years.
When CAI acquired the casino and added it to their portfolio, they provided some much needed investment. In particular, the Viage Grill is now known as one of the best places for top quality steak in all of Brussels – even for those who have no interest in gambling. By focusing on the overall experience, the Grand is becoming one of the go-to nightspots in the city, and it just reported its best ever year financially.
Looking forward to more success
This year, the casino has been shortlisted by Visit Brussels for no fewer than three different awards. These include one for the best overall evening experience and specific awards for its World Poker Tour tournament and its Great Gatsby Show.
In this digital age, we have more choice than ever as to how to spend our precious free time and money. When you check casinostats.com it becomes clear that some of the online alternatives offer incentives with which a land-based casino will struggle to compete. To add to the challenge, new online competitors appear every day. Some, like the Spa 777 casino (https://casinostats.com/nl-be/casinos/casino-777) even have a regional focus.
These factors present a distinct challenge to land based casinos, but after some years of difficulty, it seems that Grand Casino Viage has found its niche and can look forward to a decade of renewed success.
