When we were still in the basement of the Kurhaus, we already had a fantastic restaurant," says Noël Leise. And he should know. The director of operations started in the mid-1980s at Holland Casino, more than a decade before architect Pi de Bruijn's current, iconic play palace was opened in Scheveningen.

Director of operations Noël Leise (foreground) with Ton van Weerlee and Nicole Duindam in Holland Casino Scheveningen's cosmopolitan-looking à la carte restaurant.

"The big difference is: back then, it was mainly about the game and everything else was secondary, nowadays the night out with us is much broader, it has become an experience."

"Friends meet here, there are all kinds of events and we have groups with business guests. So Holland Casino has a social function, and good food and drink is increasingly emphatic part of that."

Kurhaus

That explains the atmosphere in the à la carte restaurant on the first floor overlooking the 'good old' Kurhaus, where the conversation starts. The round shapes and copper colours in numerous nuances give the interior something cosmopolitan. On the menu refined dishes like roasted scallop and grilled lobster with fresh, local ingredients as well as matching wine. "With our price-quality ratio, we are at the upper end of the market," beams the Burgundian Leise, whose soft gum betrays a Limburg origin. "At the same time, the threshold is low, as entry to the casino is free with a restaurant reservation. There are more and more people who mainly come to eat and maybe have another gamble instead of the other way around."

Take 5

For mothballs, the kitchen stays open until late. "You can order a main course until one o'clock. Come to think of it elsewhere in the city," Leise laughs. Then, pointing upwards, "Take 5, our cafeteria on the second floor, doesn't even close until two o'clock. There you'll find simpler dishes, like burgers and satay."

So much for the food, as the casino also has three bars, each with its own atmosphere. "We have a bar with TV screens, following the American model, a trendy cocktail bar in the NXT area for new and younger guests and there is a main bar to enjoy your drink," sums up the director. "Quite a bit of adrenaline can be released when playing for money. That mix of excitement and relaxation makes a night out with us unique."

Noël Leise started out as a croupier and still feels the thrill of the game.

In the exciting world that is the casino, the staff - from croupiers to security - are a beacon. "We make sure people are really seen by us," Leise explains.

Blackjack table

To illustrate, he precedes to the 'High Limit Area' behind discreet curtains, where games are often played for serious amounts of money. "Just sit on the croupier's chair behind that blackjack table," he says. Meanwhile, two generations of catering staff slide in: Ton van Weerlee (54), who has worked at Holland Casino for 28 years, and the just-starting Nicole Duindam (24). "Do you see that we are only just over a metre apart?" asks Leise. "So that's how close our contact with the visitor is. That requires a high bar in hospitality."

Glass of prosecco

"Because of the people skills I have acquired over all these years, I know immediately what type of visitor comes in," says Van Weerlee. He always deals with them in a different way. "Those who come for the first time, I put them at ease and take them by the hand. The regular guest who comes purely for the game, I leave alone after I have poured his favourite drink. And with someone who comes for the total experience, I have a nice chat. Marriages, births, funerals: you hear a lot of personal stories." "What I like most is that you really build a bond with people," Duindam adds. "For that, we get quite a lot of freedom, for instance offering a glass of prosecco when it's someone's birthday."

Tasty anecdote

Van Weerlee spoons out one tasty anecdote after another. "On the radio the other day I heard it was 'ginger day', so I offered drinks to anyone with red hair in the evening. And when a group of young men came in James Bond outfits, I took them to the Bond slot machine for a photo. Loved them!"

Looking, scanning and assessing, that is the essence of hospitality at Holland Casino. "Someone who comes alone gets a favourable spot in the restaurant from me if I think they would like a chat," continues hospitality veteran Van Weerlee. "Whereas I give a couple in love a separate corner. It's all entertainment, after all, most people dream of leaving as millionaires."

Emotions

Yet there is also a serious side to the work. "There are a lot of emotions involved, so we are sort of psychologists," Duindam summarises. "Everyone who works here is trained to spot play problems. They often involve structural changes in behaviour. In such a case, specialised colleagues engage with the guest. The last thing we want is for people to play more than they can handle." Another aspect is safety, both of the visitor and the employee. The casino is full of cameras that record every action - at chip level.

Holland Casino Scheveningen

This intensive hospitality project involves a lot of manpower, something Holland Casino Scheveningen, like many other companies, is currently short of. "We definitely need ten more people in this establishment, in the full spectrum," says director Leise. "In return we offer a job that is never boring, in a team where there is a family feeling. And a nice basic experience in hospitality for the rest of your career."

This is evident when Leise himself takes another moment behind the roulette table, where he once started. "I still feel the thrill of the game. The real handiwork of the croupier: the technique, the aesthetic aspect and running such a table with all the interaction that entails. The most beautiful thing there is."

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