Relief: French mini-village opens casino to save horses
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10 Nov 2024 •
Reading time: 3 minutes After years of discussions and changes to the law, the municipality of Arnac-Pompadour in the French region of Corrèze has finally given the green light for the arrival of a casino. The project should help to finance the maintenance costs of the national horse breeding centre, which is deeply rooted in the history of the region.
Arnac-Pompadour is a charming village with around 1,100 inhabitants, known for its friendly atmosphere, restaurants and shops. But the village has something special that makes it unique: a national horse breeding centre and a historic racecourse. This horse breeding centre, founded by the famous Marquise de Pompadour, is a cultural and historical showpiece. “Pompadour is really a horse town,” says a proud resident. And soon there will even be a casino, located on the site of the old wash house.
Investment and new jobs through collaboration with casino chain PVG
In August, the municipality signed a contract with casino chain PVG, owner of the Casino Impérial d’Annecy. Almost ten million euros are being invested in the construction of the casino, which will house 75 slot machines as well as a bistro-style restaurant. It is expected that this will create around thirty jobs, without hindering the current catering industry in the village. Local restaurateurs are happy with the arrival of the casino, which will attract more visitors to the region.
During a recent horse competition at the idyllic Pompadour racecourse, visitor Thierry reacted with relief to the news. “I had been hearing about the idea of opening a casino for a while, but it almost seemed like a fairy tale. Finally they have done it, and they can be really proud.” Isabelle, another horse lover, is also happy with the news, although she is a bit more reserved: “It will take a while before we see real results, but this is already great news for everyone who cares about horses.”
Battle for casino: how Arnac-Pompadour got the best deal
PVG was not the only company interested in the casino in Arnac-Pompadour. Six different parties submitted proposals, but in the end the municipality chose PVG. An important reason for this choice was PVG’s promise to use the municipal function room for events and to provide financial support for the renovation of this building. For Alain Tisseuil, mayor of Arnac-Pompadour, this was a decisive argument. Tisseuil, who has been fighting for this project for years, says: “At first people thought I was crazy for starting this, but look where we are now.”
This project is not only a way to preserve the historical horse breeding, but also a response to the declining support from the French government. Due to budget cuts by the Institut Français du Cheval et de l’Équitation (IFCE), the municipality was forced to look for alternative sources of financing. The new casino promises to generate significant tax revenue for the municipality, possibly up to several hundred thousand euros per year. However, it was not an easy road, as Arnac-Pompadour was not eligible for a casino under the old rules.
Legislation amended to allow casinos
In France, casinos are normally only allowed to set up in seaside resorts, spas, climatic resorts or in large tourist cities. To give Arnac-Pompadour a chance, the law had to be amended. Several members of parliament, including Laëtitia Saint-Paul from Maine-et-Loire, lobbied for this amendment. The amendment was approved in December 2023, and now municipalities with a national horse breeding centre are also allowed to open a casino.
Alain Tisseuil and others who believed in the project for all these years are finally seeing their dream come true. “It took time, of course, but we did it. And since the green light, everything has accelerated,” says the mayor. Construction of the casino is scheduled to be completed by the first quarter of 2026, with a symbolic opening date of Friday the 13th.