Mauritius is preparing to sell its loss-making state casino business, and roughly 600 employees still do not know whether they will have jobs on the other side of the deal.
The Casino Employees Union (CEU) put three proposals to a general assembly on 21 October, after what it describes as weeks of silence on a process that directly decides its members' futures.
What is being sold
Four active casinos fall inside the planned privatisation: Grand Baie Casino, Casino De Maurice, Le Caudan Waterfront Casino and Grand Casino Du Domaine.
An international tender closed on 17 August 2026 and attracted six offers. Five came from foreign investors and one from a Mauritian operator. PricewaterhouseCoopers was appointed transaction adviser to evaluate them, with its assessment originally due by 30 September.
The money behind the decision
The casinos have been losing money for years. In the financial year to June 2025 they reported losses of Rs272m, around US$5.8m, followed by a further Rs121m, roughly US$2.6m, between July and December of that year.
Over the decade from 2015 to 2025, the State Investment Corporation put more than Rs1.3bn into casino operations, close to US$27.7m.
Those numbers are the whole case for a sale. A state holding that absorbs capital for ten years and still posts losses is a hard asset to defend, and the government is not really arguing otherwise.
What the union is asking for
- A voluntary early-retirement scheme for employees over 50 who want to take it.
- A guarantee that existing staff keep their jobs after a takeover.
- A route to reassign staff into businesses managed or part-owned by the State Investment Corporation.
CEU president Jayen Moorghen says that after a meeting at which management reportedly told union representatives six bidders had shown interest, 21 days passed with no further information.
The union has also blamed years of political interference and politically driven appointments at the casinos for their financial and operational problems. That is the union's position and the reporting reviewed does not independently confirm it.
Why the silence is the real problem
Nothing about this tender is unusual. Governments sell loss-making assets, and casino privatisations happen all over the world.
What makes this one fragile is the information gap. Six bids were received in August. By late October the workforce had been given a bidder count and little else, while the adviser's evaluation deadline came and went without a public update.
For an incoming operator that is a problem worth caring about. A casino is a service business whose value sits largely in trained dealers, cashiers and floor staff. If experienced employees start leaving during a drawn-out sale, part of what the buyer is paying for walks out before completion.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mauritius casinos are being privatised?
Grand Baie Casino, Casino De Maurice, Le Caudan Waterfront Casino and Grand Casino Du Domaine.
How many jobs are affected?
Around 600 employees work across the four casinos.
How many bidders are there?
Six offers were submitted before the tender closed on 17 August 2026: five from foreign investors and one from a Mauritian operator.
Why is Mauritius selling the casinos?
They have been loss-making. The group lost Rs272m in the year to June 2025 and a further Rs121m between July and December 2025, after more than Rs1.3bn of state investment between 2015 and 2025.
Who is advising on the sale?
PricewaterhouseCoopers was appointed transaction adviser to evaluate the bids.
