O presidente da Associação Europeia de Cassinos (ECA), Per Jaldung, acredita que a ICE London 2022 (de 1 a 3 de fevereiro, no Centro de Exposições ExCeL, em Londres) será um evento fundamental para o setor de cassinos físicos, pois abordará os desafios de operar em um ambiente pós-pandemia.

Looking ahead to February, which will mark the 15th year of co-operation between ICE and the ECA, Per Jaldung said: "There's no doubt that Covid-19 has had a devastating effect on ECA members. European land-based operators have seen revenues fall by over 50% in the last 12-months and this is the deepest trough the European land-based casino industry has ever experienced.

"Esses são os fatos, mas, como setor, somos super-resilientes e estamos nos preparando para quando pudermos receber os hóspedes e retornar aos negócios com segurança e otimismo.

“ICE London 2022 will be the first major opportunity that ECA members will have to meet as a group, to share their experiences as well as explore and debate the detail of recovery strategies. Innovation both in terms of products and services will be central to the recovery and there's no better showcase for innovation anywhere in the world than ICE.”

He added: “The ECA's relationship with ICE was formalised in 2008 the year after the ECA was registered in Brussels. Even before then Casino Managers had been meeting at ICE since around 1995 and I like to think that the ECA and its members, employing an estimated pre-pandemic total of 70,000 staff, has made an important contribution to the success of ICE.

“The ECA fully supports Clarion's decision to hold the next edition of ICE in February and we are confident the industry and our members will once again gather in London. I hope ICE London 2022 will be a celebration of the industry, its resilience and its ability to bounce-back stronger than ever.

"Em parceria com o diretor administrativo da ICE, Stuart Hunter, estou ansioso para anunciar futuras iniciativas de colaboração na preparação e na ICE London, à medida que o setor navega pelo mapa da recuperação."