Cogit Group has opened French Guiana’s first casino in Cayenne, bringing a €25m ($28m) gaming and entertainment development into operation after earlier delays.
The venue admitted its first players at 10am on 5 November, with more than 200 people visiting during the opening, according to France-Antilles.
Its 655-square-metre gaming floor contains 100 slot machines, four electronic poker tables, two blackjack tables and three roulette tables, including two electronic versions.
Traditional table games were scheduled to begin operating at 9pm on opening day. Around a dozen croupiers had been trained locally, while the casino opened with 35 employees.
The wider development includes a 480-seat performance hall, which can accommodate 800 standing attendees. It remained closed to visitors on opening day, with its inauguration scheduled for the end of November.
Dining facilities comprise a planned 60-seat restaurant, an outdoor terrace with capacity for 70 guests and a lounge bar. The property also provides 243 parking spaces.
Cayenne mayor Sandra Trochimara presented the project as combining economic development with cultural activity, highlighting the theatre alongside the gambling facilities.
The municipality expects approximately €1.5m in tax revenue from the casino, although the report doesn't specify the period covered by this projection.
The opening forms part of wider development around Chemin Sadecki, near the entrance to Cayenne’s historic centre. A neighbouring Golden Tulip hotel is nearing completion, with an opening planned for May 2027.
The casino operates seven days a week, from 10am until 3am, extending to 4am on Fridays, Saturdays and the evenings before public holidays.
Cogit subsidiary Caysino operates the casino and theatre.
The opening meets the revised timetable Cogit announced in October, replacing an earlier September target.
Cogit previously pursued a casino project in nearby Matoury, but this development was abandoned in 2016
