TLDR
- Six bidders are competing to take over Mauritius’s state-run casinos, five from international investors and one from a local operator.
- PricewaterhouseCoopers is the transaction adviser overseeing the bid review, which is set to finish on September 30.
- Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam called the old casino model “clearly flawed” due to overstaffing and heavy losses.
- Casinos under the State Investment Corporation lost Rs 272 million in the year ending June 2025, with total losses reaching Rs 1.9 billion over a decade.
- Unions are demanding job protections, unpaid wages, and seniority rights be guaranteed before any buyer is chosen.
The government of Mauritius has moved a step closer to selling off its state-run casinos. Six bidders have entered the race to take over the venues currently managed by the State Investment Corporation.
Five of the six offers come from international investors. The sixth bid comes from a Mauritian operator.
The international tender closed on August 17. It drew strong interest from buyers looking to enter the country’s gaming market.
PricewaterhouseCoopers has been appointed as the transaction adviser. The firm is responsible for reviewing the bids and guiding the process forward.
That review is expected to wrap up by September 30. SIC officials say this will give a clearer picture of which bidders may move ahead.
Government Says Old Model Failed
Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam has been direct about why the sale is happening. He described the state casino model as “clearly flawed.”
He pointed to overstaffing and high wage bills as major problems. The government also cited a repeated need for public money to keep the casinos running.
Between 2015 and 2025, the State Investment Corporation put Rs 1.3 billion into the casinos to keep them open. Despite that support, losses kept growing.
Numbers shared in the National Assembly last May show the scale of the issue. The casinos lost Rs 272 million in the year ending June 2025.
Another Rs 121 million in losses followed in the second half of that year. Over ten years, the total deficit reached Rs 1.9 billion.
PwC was brought on in February 2026 to manage the privatization. Its job includes finding a buyer and handling the impact on staff.
Workers Push For Job Guarantees
As the sale moves forward, casino workers are focused on protecting their jobs. Union leaders say any transfer must follow section 16 of the Workers’ Rights Act.
That law covers how employee rights are handled when a business changes hands. Unions want a compromise agreement signed before a buyer is picked.
The goal is to protect jobs for staff who want to stay on under new ownership. They also want fair pay for those who choose to leave.
Reeaz Chuttoo, a negotiator for the casino unions, spoke about the issue. He said staff with years of experience should not be replaced by people new to the industry.
Other union negotiators, Ashvin Gudday and Sharvin Sanassee, have called for open talks with employees as the process continues. They want full transparency from officials.
Representatives from the Casino Employees Union and the Grand-Baie casino met with SIC management last Friday. That meeting gave workers their first official details on how the sale will unfold.
SIC management confirmed it has received the union demands. No final buyer has been chosen yet, and the review process is still underway.
