Fire at Holland Casino's Groningen site

Saturday saw a fire in the Holland Casino in Groningen that fortunately resulted in no serious injuries. However, the casino has been forced to shut as the damage from the fire was simply too great to the premises.

Holland Casino operates a casino gambling monopoly in the Netherlands with 14 sites nationwide that offer over 6,000 slot machines and 420 gaming tables, with the site in Groningen employing 200 people.

The fire itself lasted most of Saturday and was so large that most of the cities Old Town was closed as a result with many hotels and residents evacuated from the area. It’s been estimated that damage will amount to millions of Euros.

In a message on the company’s website Holland Casino said: "Thanks to the amazing efforts of the police and the fire department the incident did not escalate further and nobody was harmed. Unfortunately, we have lost our building. Our initial concerns are for the well-being and safety of our staff, guests and the local residents. Erwin van Lambaart, CEO of Holland Casino, has stated that we will do all we can to return to Groningen. Our short-term plan is to find alternative (temporary) premises in Groningen for our casino, our people and our guests. We will of course keep you informed about the developments."