It’s a place where ordinary people become instant winners and millionaires, but this month the management and staff at Suncoast Casino & Entertainment World (SUNCOAST) are celebrating a few coups of their very own.

Durban’s largest casino and leading entertainment destination recently scooped parent company Tsogo Sun Gaming’s CSI Award for its various social upliftment projects in Durban and surrounds.

To add to this, SUNCOAST Executive Director, Mike Dowsley and his four-ball team comprising Brazilian professional golfer, Adilson da Silva, Sunshine Tour commissioner Gareth Tindall, and Alberts Breed, Managing Executive of Vodacom KZN, conquered the undulating, 6,157-metre layout of the Country Club this month to win the Sunshine Tour SUNCOAST Classic Pro-Am golf round played on 6 August.

Dowsley said his staff was toasting the success of lots of hard work, a positive attitude and an element of fun thrown in for good measure.

He said staff felt most proud about the Tsogo Sun CSI Award, which pitted the Durban casino against the community upliftment initiatives of sister properties Montecasino in Johannesburg, Hemingways Casino in East London, Emnotweni Casino in Nelspruit and The Ridge Casino in Witbank, Mpumalanga.

“Our employees, through SUNCOAST’s Community Upliftment Project (CUP), have been instrumental in giving of their time and energy to ensure SUNCOAST ploughs back into the community, so for them this is a very special accolade,” said Dowsley.

SUNCOAST currently supports the Vukukhanye Community Upliftment Initiative, as their main CSI beneficiary. Vukukhanye addresses child and family welfare amid the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the historically disadvantaged area of Chesterville, Cato Manor.

SUNCOAST provides eight school and tertiary bursaries, which include school fees and financial support for other expenses.  In addition, sports equipment and gear is donated to Vukukhanye’s ‘Sport For All’ project, with 100 children already enrolled to take part in the project.  The staff’s hands-on support includes outings and assistance with the maintenance of school buildings, sports grounds and other facilities.  

The casino previously supported the Gozololo Children’s Home in KwaMashu and The Right To Live Campaign, with continuous support to various charity initiatives such as the Sunflower Fund’s Bandana Day.

Recently patrons also expressed enthusiastic support for SUNCOAST by voting it the Best Casino in an annual competition run by a local newspaper.

Commenting further on the accolades, Dowsley said, "It is a true reflection of the passion and commitment of our staff that we continue to enjoy such enthusiastic support while still making an important difference to those who need it most."