BEHIND THE SCENES – Casino Velden

Carinthia’s largest lake, Wörthersee, stretches for about twenty kilometres between Klagenfurt and on its western edge the elegant Velden. In the mid-nineteenth century this lake and its shoreline became an exclusive summer meeting place for Viennese aristocracy, and with its pleasant climate, cleanliness and warm water it today still attracts crowds of tourists mainly from northern European countries. More than anything else the Casino Velden, in business since 1950, has brought the lake its reputation of being the “Austrian Monte Carlo”, very quickly consolidating the image of Velden as one of the most prestigious Austrian tourist destinations.

The Austrian gaming industry is highly developed and has a long tradition, with just one company having the concession for organisingcasino gaming, namely “Casino Austria”. It is owned by public companies, mainly banks, and is also a major shareholder in the Austrian lottery. Besides the casinos in Austria, the company owns also many casinos from Australia, Africa and Canada through to Eastern Europe via sister company “Casino Austria International”. It is therefore interesting that the main goal of the Austrian gaming industry is the promotion of tourism; casinos are located in all of the major tourist spots with the aim of adding variety to the tourism offer. Casino Austria annually attracts more than 3 million visitors and the magic number of 90 million was hit on 21 September of this year.

The fifth casino of the Austrian Casino chain opened in Velden in 1950 and as a result of an increase in guest numbers they subsequently opened the open-air gaming salon in 1974. In 1987 they began the construction of a new building for the casino, which also includes a large conference hall, Casineum, which was opened in 1989. The work hadn’t yet finished with this, however, because the complex was further added to in 1991 with the Casino-Hotel Mösslacher, followed in 2004 by the opening of a renewed casino. The casino is constantly adapting to the changing needs of guests and is therefore constantly being updated. The most recent renovation was in May 2014, with a newly redesigned exterior.

One of Casino Austria’s commitments of to organise and sponsor cultural events, so you will find all types of events taking place in the Casino, making it the focal event centre on Lake Wörthersee. The International Festival of Humour, The World’s Best Photographs and 95 Behind the Scenes Carinthian Bridal Days are some of the events taking place at the Casino these days, making it truly a centre of cultural and social life in this part of Carinthia. Furthermore, the Austrian Casinos are a true events generator, as they annually organise more than 2,300 events and thereby properly enrich the tourist offer.

The congress center in the Casino is the main congress facility of this destination. It hosts events and major congresses, with guests able to book accommodation in one of the nearbyhotels. It consists of two congress halls – Casineum and Casineum – both set on the lake. Casineum is truly a special star room layout hall with excellent acoustics and multimedia equipment, which can accommodate up to 300 participants. The new, bigger Casineum hall on the lake, with 480 m2 and able to accommodate 550 participants, hall boasts natural daylight and outstanding views of the Wörthersee, especially from the terrace that is perfect for creative coffee breaks. Both of the halls are superbly equipped with all of the necessary AV and lighting systems installed, which sets them apart from the more basic convention halls that can be found in the region. Both halls are also supported by a spacious foyer, which with more than 400 m2 ideally lends itself to organising an accompanying exhibition.

The recently renovated hotel restaurant is decorated in an original ship style and with with views of the Wörthersee. Its offer is based on regional cuisine with fresh ingredients and strong Mediterranean influences. The restaurant food is also available as catering for conferenceguests, and with award-winning chef Marcel J. Vanic at the helm it is a guarantee for culinarydelights ranging from coffee breaks to the most demanding banquets.

In the immediate vicinity of Casino Velden there are four hotels, among them the Casino Hotel that is renowned for its many famous guests, having hosted Roy Black, Larry Hagman, Telly Savalas, Harald Juhnke, Dagmar Koller, Uschi Glas, Falco, Christian Kohlund, Franz Klammer…the list goes on! The hotel is located in the centre of Velden, opposite the main entrance to the Casino. Guests have at their disposal modern rooms, a private beach and the popular Schinakl American bar and gourmet restaurant “Caramé.

A very niche congress product has developed within the casino industry, which is based on the 24-hour offer of gaming and other entertainment events. You can organise an event in James Bond-style at Wörthersee and they can also bring the casino to your event at other locations with an offer that includes a variety of gaming options including roulette, blackjack, poker or the wheel of fortune. At Casino Velden you are guaranteed a superior service and the orderliness of one of the best Austrian casinos sitting at the junction of Austria, Slovenia and Italy.