Mauritius officially relaunches state casino privatisation in investment push
PwC has been appointed to oversee the privatisation of Casinos de Maurice as Mauritius seeks fresh investment for its gaming sector.
Mauritius.- Mauritius has officially relaunched the privatisation of its state-owned casino sector as the government seeks fresh private investment for the island’s gaming and hospitality industry. Auditing and advisory firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has been appointed to oversee a multi-stage sale process for Casinos de Maurice, the state-backed operator behind several strategic gaming venues across the island, including the Grand Casino du Domaine at Les Pailles.
The privatisation drive forms part of a broader government strategy to rationalise public holdings, ease pressure on public finances and restructure Mauritius’ land-based casino market through fresh capital investment and operational reform. Expressions of interest are due by August 15 2026.
Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam told the National Assembly on May 5 that Casinos de Maurice had accumulated almost Rs2bn (US$42m) in losses between 2015 and 2025 and described the company’s current operating model as “obsolete”, according to L’Express Mauritius.
The Cabinet has validated PwC’s appointment to oversee what local media described as a phased divestment strategy aimed at introducing private capital, expertise and “agile management” into the business while attempting to preserve local employment and continued casino operations.
Despite the financial losses, reports indicate the government is pursuing a growth and investment strategy rather than a closure of casino operations. A PwC investment document cited by NewsMoris stated: “This business opportunity offers an interested party the possibility to expand and diversify its activities, while taking advantage of a growing entertainment and hospitality sector.”
Sector reform and investment
Casinos de Maurice, majority-owned by the State Investment Corporation, has operated casino venues in Mauritius since 1984. While the operator was profitable in earlier decades, local reports said it has suffered recurrent losses over the last 20 years.
The current administration reportedly attributes the decline to several structural factors, including an operational model poorly adapted to changing market trends, increasing competition from online gaming and gaming houses, high structural costs and persistent governance concerns.
Prime Minister Ramgoolam also criticised the previous administration’s handling of the company, specifically referencing staff bonus payments, including a 14th-month salary distributed ahead of the last elections.
The latest privatisation push follows multiple unsuccessful attempts by successive governments to offload or restructure the casino business. A privatisation exercise launched in 2019 collapsed, while additional restructuring initiatives involving consultancy firms including KPMG between 2021 and 2022 also failed to result in completed transactions. A further process announced in 2023 similarly did not reach completion.
The process could draw interest from regional and international gaming investors as Mauritius seeks to reposition its land-based casino sector through private investment and operational restructuring.
