It was March 19, 2010 when the company Casinos del Mediterráneo made a decision that was as surprising as it was logical for its facilities on the east coast of Spain. The consequences of the 2008 crisis were still visible in his premises, some of them could not withstand the pull and could not set the right course.
The factory decided to focus all efforts on keeping its Alicante casino alive and trying to save the one in Torrevieja (it only managed to extend its lifespan until 2013). The victim was him Casino Costa Blanca de Villajoyosa, which closed after 43 years of continuous operation. The mythical icon room of the Marina Baixa could not take more.
The context put him against a rock and a hard place. Until 14 million euros loss in the previous year; the impending collapse of online casinos; and a competitor like Cirsa, which has made Casino Valencia one of the best venues on the entire peninsula. Casinos del Mediterráneo preferred to take the money to its other facilities, abandoning 121 workers.
The feeling in the years that followed was nothing but boredom when it came to hearing about gambling in Villajoyosa again. The wound still remains with those who contemplate the square white and blue facade of a casino that has become the history of a small coastal town, the province of Alicante and the entire Valencian community.
And at the risk of occasionally leaving a thorn in the side of the craving, we can say that the Villajoyosa Casino Preparing to return in 2023. Hand in hand with a renovated factory, with a different business model and with a slightly rosier outlook for Spanish arcades. But the reality is that it’s coming back.
a new project
After more than 12 years since its closure, the Acrismatic Group He believes that this is the ideal time to return and that is why work has already started this month of September to prepare the new casino in the area. The plan officials formalized the situation in a joint public act with the City Council to present the proposal.
And how could it be otherwise, its location will be exactly the same. In fact, during the event, one of the ancient walls of the old building was demolished as a symbol of a new rebirth scheduled for the month of April 2023. The idea is that it will be there by the beginning of the month, but the deadlines will be updated over time.
Antonio Barajas, Director of Casino Mediterráneo, was also present and explained some of the key aspects of the new casino. The The investment is more than 3 million euros to create Almost 2,000 square meters of space, around 850 of which are exclusively for casino games (slot machines and roulette tables, blackjack, etc.).
The project is prepared to accommodate around 358 people in the hall, but it is not excluded that the premises could be expanded in the future by creating facilities for weddings, celebrations and events such as art exhibitions that are present in the old casino.
The merging of the gambling sector with the cultural sector seems to be the key to the designation of new arcades, which in the case of Villajoyosa also contribute to the restoration. Acrismatic even goes a step further when commenting that he wants set up a cooking schooland even that he wants his own Training center for traders and croupiers.
The self-sufficiency fever seems to have swept over the new Valencian proposal, although the idea of building a hotel next to the casino to also implement accommodation services was completely rejected. At least for the time being, the company has not admitted any rumors in this regard, although the door has not been closed on future investments in this direction. Whether internal or external.
Jesús Álamo, as president of Acrismatic, has also had to deny that they are considering closing other spaces and that the new one in Villajoyosa replaces one of them. And Andreu Verdú, for his part, attended the presentation event as mayor of Villajoyosa and was very happy to win back such a mythical casino for the city.
It is also necessary to mention that the new casino will have a strong connection with the new Ondara Casino project. Manuel González will work as an architect just as he does in the country town, in a forward exit for Casinos del Mediterráneo in search of redemption and development in the Iberian Peninsula.
What is already known is that the facade will be similar to the one that is now abandoned and that the restructuring will have more to do with reviving the casino than with an aggressive redesign. That the residents of Villajoyosa can go back in time, but with the necessary touch of modernity and the touch of new technologies breathing down the neck of the venue’s administrators.
