Brussels Casino: Napoleon Games wins again 

The City of Brussels confirmed on Thursday, November 5, 2026, that the Brussels Casino concession has been awarded to Napoleon Games for fifteen years. The decision follows the Council of State’s suspension of the initial award. 

Napoleon Games maintains its lead after a new evaluation 

After several months of legal and political uncertainty, Brussels city authorities have once again selected ECK, the company operating the Napoleon Games brand, to manage the Grand Casino Brussels. 

The concession, with an estimated total value of €750 million, is expected to take effect on July 1, 2027, for a period of fifteen years. 

According to information published by Le Soir, the new evaluation report produces almost identical results to those of the summer assessment. Napoleon Games retains a lead of 3.28 points out of 100 over Viage, the casino’s current operator. Only one notable change appears in the scores: the candidate associated with the Dinant casino loses five points. All other scores remain unchanged from the initial evaluation. 

Why did the Council of State suspend the decision? 

On July 17, 2026, the City of Brussels had already selected Napoleon Games to operate its casino. However, this initial award was challenged by Casino Austria, the company behind Viage, which had finished second in the evaluation process. 

Following an application under an extremely urgent procedure, the Council of State suspended the decision on August 31. The administrative court identified, among other issues, shortcomings in the justification provided for the city’s choice, as well as failures to comply with European obligations governing the award procedure. 

The City then had several options: provide a different justification for its decision, conduct an entirely new evaluation of the bids, or launch a new competitive tender process. It ultimately chose to reassess the bids and provide more detailed reasoning, without significantly changing the original ranking. 

A new assessment changes the reasoning, not the result 

To address the Council of State’s criticism, the Brussels administration revised several aspects of its reasoning. 

The initial report had notably highlighted the prospect of relocating gaming servers to Brussels. This element has been removed from the new assessment, as the Council of State pointed out that it was not among the requirements set out in the tender specifications. 

The revised document also examines the proposals submitted by the different candidates in greater detail. In particular, it maintains the favorable assessment of Napoleon Games’ restaurant and hotel development proposal. 

The City states that it carried out “a new analysis of the submitted bids, in compliance with the applicable legal framework, taking into account, in particular, the lessons learned from the Council of State’s ruling.” 

The casino’s 286 employees receive an additional six months 

Beyond the competition between operators, the future of the casino’s employees was a major concern. The current concession was initially scheduled to end on December 31, 2026, with the new contract expected to begin on January 1, 2027. 

Faced with uncertainty following the Council of State’s suspension, the City of Brussels and Viage reached an agreement in late October to extend the current operation by six months. Viage will therefore be able to continue operating until June 30, 2027, inclusive. This transitional measure aims to ensure the casino’s continued operation and protect the jobs of its 286 employees. 

If the new concession follows the announced schedule, Napoleon Games is expected to take over the following day, July 1, 2027. 

A judicial investigation adds another sensitive dimension 

The casino concession has not only faced administrative challenges. At the end of September, the Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that it had opened a preliminary judicial investigation against persons unknown concerning the unlawful taking of interests, following an anonymous complaint. 

This investigation is separate from the proceedings before the Council of State. The information released does not establish that an offence has been committed or that any specific individual bears criminal responsibility. Nevertheless, the value of the contract and the relationships discussed during political debates have made the award particularly sensitive. 

Philippe Close and the City of Brussels face opposition criticism 

During the municipal council meeting on September 21, several opposition representatives expressed concerns about how the matter had been handled. 

Benoît Hellings, a Green Party councillor, challenged certain evaluation criteria and criticized Mayor Philippe Close for not recusing himself from the procedure. According to Hellings, the mayor holds an unpaid position on the board of Sporting Anderlecht, a football club sponsored by Napoleon Games and mentioned several times in the operator’s bid. 

These elements fueled criticism from the opposition, although they do not, in themselves, constitute evidence of wrongdoing. 

Bruno Bauwens, from the PTB, also criticized the lack of transparency surrounding the composition of the jury responsible for assessing the candidates’ strategic vision statements. He pointed out that the jury members’ names were not publicly known, describing the situation as “troubling” for a concession of such financial importance. 

The City defends the confidentiality of the procedure 

In response to the criticism, Alderwoman Nawal Ben Hamou defended the work of the municipal administration and its legal advisers. She explained that the administration was carefully examining the Council of State’s ruling to reach a legally sound decision while ensuring the casino could continue operating. 

The alderwoman also emphasized the confidentiality obligations applicable to this type of procedure. 

According to her, a new, fully reasoned decision could not be communicated to the municipal council before the bidding companies had been informed. 

Could another appeal still change the outcome? 

By confirming Napoleon Games, the City of Brussels has reaffirmed its original choice without significantly altering the assessment of the candidates. The ranking remains unchanged, with Viage still in second place, 3.28 points out of 100 behind Napoleon Games. 

This situation leaves open the possibility of another challenge before the Council of State. However, as of November 5, 2026, the available information does not indicate that any new appeal has been filed against this second decision. 

The current timetable now provides for the transition from Viage to Napoleon Games on July 1, 2027.