Oasis Casino reopening ?

[ian]

15th February

Gaming floor does not do politics, but sometimes events in the political world certainly do effect life in the casino world. Nowhere is this more true than in Jericho and the closure of the highly successful Oasis Casino in October 2000.

Two or three news headlines have been found this week indicating that with the impending handover of Jericho to the Palestinan Authority the casino may possibly reopen again.


Here are the links...

Jericho looks to security handover to revive tourism
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=12699

Wheels of justice spin slowly in Jericho casino case
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/540226.html

PA Figure: Israel Has Given In on Jericho Village
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=76949


Shortly before it's closure the Oasis was attracting almost 3,000 customers a day and had expanded to over 100 tables. 1999's profits were some $54 million.


Ian

[Crazy Horse]

I am working and have worked with many,who were in Jericho,and a Casino with so many staff who have now been scattered all over the world most waiting to return.
There is light at the end of the tunnel,how long the tunnel is,that's another question.
Illegal Casinos are going to have to graft in the short time that is left,as Jericho took their buisiness first time around,and will do so again.
It would be good to have back,for employment and tourism,as it is one of the top Casinos in this part of the world,shaded by the Greeks

[123]

[quote=ian]

"Shortly before it's closure the Oasis was attracting almost 3,000 customers a day and had expanded to over 100 tables. 1999's profits were some $54 million."

Whats amazing is that the figures quoted were averages and don't show just how fast the operation was growing. 2000's profit would probably have been double 99's. The Casinos monthly win before closure was approaching $20 million with 3000 visitors during the week and 5000 on weekends. the casino had 124 tables and could have done with an extra 40 on weekends. As Crazy horse said there are around 500 expats around the world, many I am sure would want to go back given the excellent salary. Having said that is it likely after 4 years of closure salaries would be so high? Things are usually best when an operation first opens. Somehow I think that if the Oasis does re-open (and I don't see it happening any time soon) condidtions will not be as good as they were. It will probably still be one of the better contracts to be had though.

[ian]

Brett Anderson the GM of the Oasis Hotel Casino Resort has given an Interview to the International News Hour.

WITHOUT ISRAELIS, CASINO REMAINS CLOSED
http://themedialine.org/news/news_de...sp?NewsID=9147

The property appears to have been fully maintained during the 4 years of closure.

" We’ve been ready to open for the past four years. Everything has been maintained, the gardens, the exterior of the building and the interior of the building." Anderson said. "You can walk down here today and you’ll think we just shut the door yesterday. "

Here are the details on slot and table numbers.

" Housing 124 gaming tables and 285 slot machines, the casino attracted around 3,000 visitors a day. Since gambling is illegal in Israel, around 97 percent of the guests were Israeli. Others were Jordanian or foreign tourists."



A casino with no customers for 4 years, it must certainly be an eerie feeling walking across the Oasis Gaming floor.


Ian

[123]

Who said table games were dead? Nice to see they are alive and well in some areas. Of course they would be if the casino was open Still Macau and no doubt Singapore should it open will keep table games going for a while yet.

[ian]

The Oasis Casino appears as though it is now ready to reopen. The situation now entirely in the hands of politicians and their ability to reach an agreement on security related issues.


Israel, Palestinians Dispute Handover
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pb.../API/503100523

Here are the relevant casino quotes...


" In a curious twist, the disagreement over Jericho appeared to focus mostly on a gleaming luxury casino and hotel just outside town. Built during the heyday of Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking in the mid-1990s, the Oasis casino closed after the outbreak of violence in the fall of 2000 kept away its mainly Israeli customers.

Many Palestinians in Jericho are hoping that peace will bring the Israelis back, restoring jobs and boosting the town's battered tourism-based economy. At its height, the casino and adjacent hotel employed 1,600 Palestinians and 450 foreigners, but now only about 60 workers maintain the building.

"Without tourists, without the visitors, we die," said Amer Samih, 29, a taxi driver.

Everything looked ready at the casino Wednesday. The floors sparkled, chairs were neatly stacked on the tables, chips piled carefully on the gaming tables. Slot machines blinked and whirred.

Security manager Hans Holek said returning West Bank towns, including Jericho, to Palestinian control would calm the area and allow the casino to reopen. "


Ian

[123]

I think its still a long way from opening. You have to figure 2-3 months depending on how you want to open. A big concern is the expense with a lot of money needing to be spent to bring expats over and house them. Add to that money will need to be spend on many items that will need to be repaired/replaced after 4 years unused. Computers, surveilllance equipment, even slots might look ok to the media when switched on but what operational condition will these items be in if you wish to actually use them and not just look. Will the slots function ok after 4 years with little (if any) servicing.

The point about the expense is in relation to risk. spend all that money and 1 week later there is another suicide bombing and the borders are closed down again. I would hope they would have a "period of calm" before making the decision to open. Good luck to the operation anyway. With several hundred expat positions it something that is needed with little available elsewhere these days.

As for ex staff. I know many may want to go back but you have to consider if it will be as good second time around? From experience it usually isn't and after 4 years are they likely to offer the same high salries as before?

[croup2000]

Around the begging of 99 the amount of money being paid to expats employed at the Oasis dropped. The people being promoted were promoted to positions on lower salaries than previously promoted staff received. Ex eastern block countries where Casino's Austria operated were encouraged to send more staff on far less money than the other expat staff. The local staff was pushed into positions that they were not ready for because they were paid less again.
A couple of friends of mine (Dahoud and Khalil taxi drivers in Jericho) gave me advise before I left they told me to leave and not come back..

[123]

croup2000

You are not quite right with your comments. I believe that salaries for promoted staff began to drop near the end of 2000. Two years after the casino opened and just before closure. managers salaries dropped from 90-80 and PBs from 50-45. I do not recall the changes to dealers and inspectors though non of this happened at the time you say.

Eastern European, in fact all expat staff were paid the same. there were no seperate expat contracts depending on nationality though some CAI staff from eastern europe had only been released from their home operations on the understanding it would be for 1 contract.

Local staff were not promoted for economic reasons but political. At the time there was a dozen or so promoted. This was after 1 year, not unreasonable considering there were 800? palestinian dealers. Certainly they were no worse than some of the expats brought out and while the motivation for promoting was to provide an example to all local staff that there were opportunities, the promotions could not be considered unsuccessful.

You take advice from taxi drivers?

I will assume the point of the post was to suggest it will not be as good should it re-open. If that is the case I would agree as salaries will no doubt, not be what they were. I would also say its likely to remain one of the better paid contracts and the ONLY major employer of expats...

...IF it opens

[croup2000]

Your quite right mate my time scale was a little out.
I have to agree with you also that the local staff were no worse than
some of the expat staff..
I would however consider any advice given by anyone, especially
a local.
I left on September the 11th 2000 after considering the advice
the problems started on the 13th.

[ian]

The Jerusalem post reported over the weekend that with Hamas winning the Palestinian elections the Oasis Casino is unlikely to ever re-open.

19th February

Hamas to bar Jericho casino reopening
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...cle%2FShowFull

" Owned by Casinos Austria, the casino was shut shortly after the beginning of the intifada in September 2000. For years it was regarded as one of the prominent symbols of corruption in the PA because some of the money went into the bank accounts of senior PA leaders.

"They can only dream of reopening this damned place," a source close to Hamas told The Jerusalem Post. "We'll never allow the casino to operate." "


The article continues and details missing funds at the Palestinian Authority and attempts by the organisation to extradite former officials who have fled abroad. A tangled web indeed.

Just having a quick look on the CA website the casino is still listed
http://www.casinosaustria.com/cai_cas_casinos.aspx

and after doing a Google, images of the property appear hard to find but a couple can be viewed @
http://christian-bible.com/images/israel/jericho17.jpg
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=12699


Ian

[ian]

This thread was started in 2006 and the Oasis casino originally closed in October 2000 - almost 10 years ago. I thought it time for an update as I've just come across some images from the location posted on Flickr.


The property looks in remarkable condition.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/27575971@N04/4584074202
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27575971@N04/4584072320


A Google search reveals no casino related news but it's probably an odds on shot that one day it'll be back in business.


Ian

[ian]

Haaretz has a number of articles today on Martin Schlaff who along with Casinos Austria and the Palestinian Authority were involved in the original opening and operation of the Oasis.


The Schlaff Saga / Gambling in Jericho, betting on political friends
http://www.haaretz.com/magazine/week...iends-1.312800


Martin Schlaff on Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Schlaff


News on any Oasis Casino re-opening ?
The Hotel has been open since 2005 but mainly for those pursuing visits to religious sites.
http://www.ameinfo.com/67438.html

Jericho Birthday Fires Up Palestinian Tourism, $2 Billion Plan
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-0...lion-plan.html


http://www.intercontinental.com/jericho


Ian