Six bidders compete in Mauritius state casino privatisation
Five international investors and one Mauritian operator have submitted offers, with PwC now assessing the proposals as unions push for job and rights guarantees.
Mauritius.- Mauritius’ state-owned casino privatisation has entered a decisive phase, with six bidders submitting offers for the businesses operated under the State Investment Corporation (SIC).
Five of the six bidders are international investors and one is a Mauritian operator. The disclosure followed a September 4 meeting between the SIC and casino union representatives. The six companies remain bidders whose proposals are under evaluation, according to L’Express.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), appointed as Transaction Adviser, is supervising the evaluation, which is expected to be completed by September 30. The international tender closed on August 17. The process puts the future of around 600 casino employees under renewed scrutiny.
Mauritius relaunched the privatisation process in May, with PwC appointed to support the divestment as the government sought private investment and operational reform.
The SIC is the major shareholder in four operational casinos: Le Grand Casino Du Domaine, Le Caudan Waterfront Casino, Casino De Maurice and Grand Baie Casino. The casinos are managed through SIC Management Services Co Ltd. The identities of the six bidders have not been disclosed.
Workers seek privatisation guarantees
The September meeting also brought the employment implications of the sale into sharper focus. Casino Employees Union (CEU) representatives are seeking guarantees on jobs, seniority, outstanding payments and acquired rights before any transfer to a new operator.
Grand-Baie casino employs 105 workers. Reeaz Chuttoo, a negotiator for the casino, said the SIC had made the government’s position clear. “The SIC told us that the government does not intend to invest even more money in casinos, because it is not the role of the state to finance this activity,” he said, according to L’Express.
Chuttoo said the industry’s future could still be secure under private ownership. “In my opinion, this industry will always exist in Mauritius. We are a tourist country and there are investors who have already expressed their interest.”
The unions want any transfer to be handled under the Workers’ Rights Act provisions governing the transfer of an undertaking. They are also seeking a compromise agreement covering employees who move to a new operator and those who do not.
Chuttoo added: “We have asked the SIC to come up with a proposal so that, whoever the buyer is, those interested can keep their jobs. It is not normal that Mauritians with years of experience are pushed aside in favour of people who do not know this profession.”
The CEU is also demanding recognition of outstanding employee claims, full recognition of seniority and continued respect for the existing collective agreement during any transition.
The casinos’ financial losses are driving the government’s exit from the sector. They lost Rs272m (US$5.8m) in the year to June 2025 and a further Rs121m (US$2.6m) in the following six months, taking cumulative losses to Rs1.9bn (US$40.5m) over a decade. The SIC injected Rs1.3bn (US$27.7m) between 2015 and 2025 to sustain operations. Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam described the casino model as “clearly failing”, citing overstaffing and salary costs.
The six bids are now in PwC’s evaluation process, with the assessment due to conclude on September 30. The result will determine the next stage of Mauritius’ casino privatisation, as unions continue pressing for employment and rights guarantees.
