Berck finally gets its casino back before 2026
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26 Dec 2025 •
Reading time: 3 minutes After 34 years of management by the Partouche group, the Berck casino is about to change hands. The courts have given their verdict, putting an end to a long struggle between the municipality and the operator. As of 1 January 2026, the building will be officially returned to the municipality, opening a new chapter for this emblematic site.
An unequivocal court decision
On Friday 19 December 2025, the interim relief judge of the Lille Administrative Court handed down a decisive ruling: Partouche must hand over the casino to the town by 1 January 2026 at the latest. The municipality, which had taken the case to court as a matter of urgency, has thus obtained confirmation that the building legally belongs to the municipality.
In its decision, the court stated that there was no serious doubt as to the ownership of the building, recalling the Conseil d’État ruling of 17 July last year, which had already confirmed that the casino would be returned to municipal ownership at the end of the public service delegation.
For local residents, this decision brings to a close a chapter long marked by uncertainty. For years, the town had been calling for the return of its casino, a symbol of the region’s economy and tourism.
Handover of keys, codes and documents: a meticulous process
The order sets out in detail Partouche’s obligations. The group must provide the municipality with all the resources needed to access and operate the building: keys, badges, access codes, security systems and technical documents.
The judge also required that the site be cleared of all equipment belonging to the outgoing operator. Each item must be handed over in full to ensure a smooth transition.
To ensure that these deadlines are met, the court has imposed a financial penalty of €500 per day of delay. Partouche Group will also have to justify to the court the steps it has taken to comply with the ruling.
An appeal to the Conseil d’Etat is still possible within a fortnight, but the municipality intends to press ahead.
A new delegate takes over in January
The town of Berck is wasting no time. From 1 January 2026, the casino will be entrusted to the company that owns the Grand Casino de Dinant, a subsidiary of the Infinity group, for a period of twelve years. The town council’s decision, adopted on 24 November 2025, has already laid the foundations for this new operation.
The Partouche group, which chose not to apply for this new delegation, is therefore leaving the site after more than three decades. The transition will take place under the strict supervision of the municipality, which wishes to guarantee the continuity of the business and preserve jobs.
This takeover marks a strategic turning point for Berck. The casino is a major economic and tourism driver for the town. With the new operator, the town hopes to strengthen its appeal while modernising its leisure facilities.
After 34 years of operation by Partouche, the Berck casino is to regain its status as a municipal asset. The decision of the administrative court in Lille, confirmed by the ruling of the Conseil d’État, requires the site to be returned in full by 1 January 2026. With the Infinity group as the new operator, the town is banking on a dynamic and modernised operation.