Brussels Casino: Napoleon Games suspended 

The Council of State has suspended the award of the Brussels Casino concession to ECK, the company that operates the Napoleon Games brand. 

A decision that leaves Brussels facing a difficult choice 

The casino’s current operating licence expires on 31 December 2026, whilst a new award process could take several months. 

What can the City do now? It could restart the process from the beginning, reassess the bids already submitted, or attempt to confirm the selection of Napoleon Games by providing a stronger legal justification for its decision. 

However, none of these solutions guarantees an end to the legal dispute. A rejected bidder could once again take the matter to the administrative courts. 

The financial stakes are considerable. The concession is valued at 750 million euros, and the Brussels Casino pays an annual royalty of around 10 million euros to the City. 

Why the Council of State suspended the award 

The Council of State identified a problem with the reasoning behind this assessment. According to the administrative court, the explanations provided do not allow for sufficient verification that all the elements set out in the tender specifications were indeed taken into account. 

Another issue concerns certain partnerships set out in ECK’s bid. The Council of State refers to an inaccuracy in their assessment. The events component of the bid is particularly affected. Some partnerships are reportedly based on letters of recommendation from, amongst others, sports clubs, rather than on firm commitments. 

The court also found that the obligations arising from European regulations on foreign subsidies likely to distort the internal market had not been met. 

Viage had come second and contested the result 

On 17 July, the College of Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Brussels had to decide between five bids. ECK had been ranked first, ahead of Casinos Austria International, the group that currently operates the casino under the Viage brand. 

Believing it had been wronged by the procedure, Viage lodged an urgent appeal with the Council of State. The outgoing operator contested, in particular, compliance with the award criteria, the reasoning behind the decision and several assessments made during the examination of the bids. 

Following the Council of State’s decision, Viage considered that the ruling supported the arguments put forward in its appeal. 

“The Council of State took into account the factual elements put forward by Viage,” stated the company, which did not wish to comment further at this stage. 

The case has also been marked by political controversy 

The award process has also sparked controversy within the Brussels City Council. 

Benoît Hellings, a member of the Green opposition, has accused Mayor Philippe Close of a possible conflict of interest in this matter. 

Napoleon Games is one of the main partners of Anderlecht Football Club, of which Philippe Close is an independent director. The mayor denies this accusation. 

A 750 million contract now suspended 

The suspension ordered by the Council of State does not appoint a new operator for the Brussels Casino. At this stage, it blocks the decision to award the concession to ECK and the Napoleon Games brand. 

The City must now determine how to rectify the issues identified in the procedure whilst taking into account the 31 December deadline.