The European Dealers Championship will take place in Brussels, at VIAGE, for the very first time

After a top-class edition in Monte-Carlo in 2022, the best European dealers will meet at VIAGE, in the very heart of Brussels, where they will compete inside Belgium’s biggest casino. Their goal: take the prize, which in this case means bringing home the cup and the title of best national dealer!

A unique experience

The European Dealers Championship has been organised by the European Casino Association (ECA) since 2007. This year, Belgium will host this event for the very first time. Extremely popular, this highly anticipated gathering attracts more and more attendees every year.

This June, close to 40 dealers coming from about 20 countries, as well as the directors of the biggest European casinos are expected in Brussels, as they take part in this unmissable event, gathering the main actors of the gaming industry. A great opportunity for all candidates to display their expertise and exchange insights amongst experts in a professional yet warm atmosphere.

Dealer, a demanding profession

During the European Dealers Championship, dealers will be assessed by a carefully-selected jury, including leaders in the gambling field. Their mission: analyse and rate the skills of the candidates. To do so, they will mingle around the gaming table and pretend to be a regular player while testing the dealer’s skills at Blackjack or American roulette.

Three main criteria will be assessed by these experts, in the following order of importance:

The course of the competition

The championship hosted by VIAGE in Brussels from June 12 will be divided into 4 rounds. During the first round, candidates will be divided into 6 to 8 groups. Each dealer will play Blackjack and American roulette for 20 minutes, in front of 4 to 6 jury members. The latter will assess all candidates individually, without communicating with each other. Scores will then be delivered to the championship director. The two best dealers of each group will be selected for the quarter-finals.

During the second round, 12 to 16 dealers (depending on the number of candidates who played the first round) will be divided into 3 to 4 groups of 4 competitors. Each candidate will play both games for 15 minutes in front of the jury. The two highest-scoring dealers per group will get access to the semi-finals. Then, the 6 to 8 remaining dealers will face each other in two groups, which will lead the last winners to the finals of the competition. That very last step will be answering to the same rules and procedures as the previous one. In case of a tie, the final winner will be chosen thanks to a mathematics test (based upon the hopes of gains at the roulette).

Alongside the competition, secondary prizes will be awarded during this event, such as the “Best Chipper” award, that will reward the candidate who will be able to sort as quickly as possible 300 chips of 3 different colours, by stacks of 20, before replacing them around the score track. Another secondary prize, the “Best Card-handler” will reward the most skilled card handler.

Two Belgians in the competition

VIAGE is proud to introduce the two Belgian dealers representing Belgium during the European Dealers Championship! Both talents were selected during an in-house competition organised last May in real-life conditions for all dealers of the Grand Casino Brussels, VIAGE.

Mathieu Leclercq is 36 years old, and has trained as a dealer since he was 20. He’s worked at VIAGE since 2007. This is his 3rd participation in the EDC, and his main goal is to beat his last record (he ranked 5th in London in 2017). Mathieu is one of those dealers who turned his passion into his job. Mastering games and handling cards have always fascinated him. According to him, it takes a lot of training to reach a good technical level. One should also be good at calculating and mastering the psychological aspects of the game to satisfy the clients’ needs.

The other Belgian competitor comes from the Casino of Blankenberge. Belgium was indeed able to introduce two competitors thanks to VIAGE’s quality of host. Other countries like Monaco, The Netherlands, Cyprus, Denmark, Slovenia,... will be represented by a maximum of 2 candidates and a minimum of 1 jury member. You can find all information as well as the candidates list in the EDC Brussels brochure (attached).

VIAGE: Las Vegas, Brussels-style

Grand Casino Brussels VIAGE is delighted to welcome the 14th edition of the European Dealers Championship. A genuine entertainment temple in the heart of Brussels, our 14.500 m² space encloses over 460 slot machines, 40 game tables, as well as a rooftop with a breathtaking view of the historical centre of Brussels. Not to forget our 2 restaurants: VIAGE Grill is a steakhouse serving exquisite dishes until late, and VIAGE Chill offers homemade pastries and local tapas from dawn ‘till dusk.

About

The European Casino Association (ECA) represents the national associations and individual operators of certified casinos in Europe. Today, the ECA represents about 900 casinos and hires over 70.000 employees throughout 30 European countries.

The European Dealers Championship (EDC) has been organised since 2007. This year, its 14th edition will be hosted by the Grand Casino Brussels VIAGE. This championship gives European dealers the opportunity to show their skills, their professionalism, and to promote best practices in order to create a welcoming, entertaining, safe, and equal atmosphere in all European casinos. A high-level recognition for a profession that requires constant training, as well as bullet-proof ethics.

Officiel press release European Casino Association