Brussels revokes the casino award 

With just over three months to go before the current Brussels Casino concession expires, the City has still not appointed a future operator. The award granted on 17 July 2026 to E.C.K., the company behind Napoleon Games, has been revoked following its suspension by the Council of State. 

A decision withdrawn, but no new award 

The Brussels Casino was due to change operator from 1 January 2027, but the decision paving the way for this transition has been officially withdrawn by the City of Brussels. 

At the municipal council meeting on 21 September 2026, it was announced that the City had rescinded its decision of 17 July awarding the concession to E.C.K., the company operating the Napoleon Games brand. This decision followed the intervention of the Council of State. 

The administrative court had suspended the award on 31 August 2026, in its judgement No. 267.514, after the case was brought before it by Casinos Austria International Belgium, the current operator of the Brussels Casino under the Viage brand. 

The Council of State has thrown the timetable into disarray 

In particular, the Council of State had highlighted difficulties concerning the reasoning behind the evaluation of tenders, the assessment of certain partnerships put forward by the successful tenderer, and compliance with the obligations under the European regulation on foreign subsidies. 

These observations prevent the City from simply replacing its withdrawn decision with a new award made as a matter of urgency. The Brussels authorities must now determine which stages of the existing procedure can be resumed and which elements need to be completed before a new decision can be adopted. 

Bidders must maintain their bids until February 2027 

According to reports in Le Soir, a letter was sent to the bidders on 14 September 2026. The City is asking them to confirm, within ten working days, that their proposals will remain valid up to and including 3 February 2027. 

This measure makes it possible, in particular, to continue working on the bids already submitted. It prevents their validity period from becoming an additional obstacle whilst the consequences of the Council of State’s decision are being analysed. 

Six bidders had initially submitted bids for this 15-year concession: Chaudfontaine Loisirs, E.C.K., Grand Casino de Dinant, Casinos Austria International Belgium, Circus Casino Bruxelles and Golden Palace Grand Casino Brussels. Golden Palace’s bid was subsequently excluded due to irregularities deemed substantial within the context of the procedure. 

The financial stakes involved are considerable. The City had estimated the value of the concession at €750 million (excluding VAT) over fifteen years. This scale also explains why compliance with the various legal obligations, including those at European level, has become paramount. 

1 January 2027 becomes the critical deadline 

The main issue is no longer simply a matter of who will operate the Brussels Casino for the next fifteen years. The immediate question is also what will happen on 1 January 2027. On that date, Viage’s current concession will have expired. 

Without a new, legally valid award and without a temporary agreement with the current operator, the casino could therefore find itself without an operator. 

The City must therefore answer a key question: is it still possible to rectify the current procedure quickly enough, or must we start afresh? 

Could Viage ultimately stay on for a few more months? 

A temporary extension of the current concession is being mooted as a way of ensuring business continuity whilst the City resolves the issue of the permanent award. A six-month extension had, in particular, been proposed during a meeting with staff representatives organised following their demonstration on 15 September. 

However, Viage had rejected this. In a letter addressed to the City and the Brussels government, the current operator had stated that it did not wish to continue its operations beyond 31 December 2026 on the sole basis of an extension to the existing licence. Instead, Viage was calling for a re-evaluation of the bids following the ruling by the Council of State. 

At the municipal council meeting on 21 September, Nawal Ben Hamou stated that the City was still considering holding discussions with the current operator in order to find a solution that would ensure the casino’s continued operation. An extension could therefore only be granted if both parties reached an agreement. 

A decisive deadline for the Brussels Casino 

As 31 December 2026 approaches, the future of the Brussels Casino remains uncertain. 

The decision awarding the licence to E.C.K., the company behind Napoleon Games, was withdrawn following its suspension by the Council of State, with no new operator having yet been appointed. Napoleon Games remains a potential contender, as do Viage and the other candidates still involved in the process. The City must now choose between continuing with the current procedure, a new award, or a temporary solution with Viage in order to avoid a disruption to operations on 1 January 2027. 

This uncertainty directly affects the casino’s 286 employees, who are calling for greater clarity regarding their future. The case also retains a political dimension centred on the role of Philippe Close, although no conflict of interest has been legally established based on the available evidence.