Golden Palace wants to challenge Circus in Brûly  

On the border of Brûly-de-Couvin, a project is stirring up passions: the possible arrival of a new casino, backed by the Golden Palace group. As the public enquiry continues until 23 December, elected representatives, residents and professionals in the area are asking questions.  Behind the simple appearance of a modern building lies a much deeper debate on the attractiveness, taxation and risks associated with gambling.  

An ambitious project on the border: Golden Palace wants to establish itself  

On the site of the former Chez Pierre café on the old N5, the Immo-Laeken group plans to demolish the existing building and erect a contemporary flat-roofed structure. At first glance, it looks like nothing more than a modern building that complies with town planning regulations and requires no special exemption.

But the issue is not architectural. It’s social, economic and moral. The planned casino, to be operated by Golden Palace, would add to the existing offer just opposite, where the Circus has been operating for years and is currently undergoing an extension.  

The project calls for the installation of 45 games, the maximum authorised by the licence: 

• 33 individual slot machines ;  

• 12 multi-slot machines, mainly roulettes for several players.  

It is estimated that between 60 and 100 people will visit the establishment every day, spread over the 24 hours.  

A mainly French audience   

Why the interest in a frontier casino? The answer lies in the behaviour of the French public and the gambling rules in force in both countries.  

Massimo Menegalli, the project’s promoter, sums up the phenomenon:  

“The French love Belgian gambling establishments. They have them at home. There are 200 casinos in France and there are plans for a very large gaming hall in Sedan. But they don’t have the same rules when it comes to hourly losses for customers. With us, it’s around 25 euros. But if we compare our two countries, the statistics show that in France, with 50-100 euros, a person will stay in the establishment for an hour. In our country, they can spend an afternoon there because the loss is less. Here, 97.5% is redistributed, compared with an average of 93% in France. So the French prefer to come to Belgium.” 

A sufficiently large difference to attract a cross-border audience looking to extend their playing time. The establishment is therefore mainly targeting a French clientele, which explains its strategic location on the Belgian side.  

Elected representatives divided 

Not everyone is happy about the prospect of a second casino. At a previous town council meeting, the opposition expressed its concern.  

Laurence Plasman (ICI) saw no benefit for the local population:   

“This establishment does not meet the needs of the people of Couvin.” 

For her part, Sarah Noël (Écolo-GIC) warned of the potential effects of gambling on local residents:  

“According to forecasts, 5% of Couvinois will go there. That’s already a few victims.” 

The mayor, Raymond Douniaux, acknowledged these concerns, while emphasising a crucial aspect: the taxes collected would benefit the municipality, even though 95% of the clientele would be French. This pragmatic reasoning raises a broader question: should a municipality accept social risks if they mainly concern an outside population?  

Jobs, traffic, nuisance: what difference will the casino really make?  

The project plans to create ten jobs, a modest figure that will not bring about any major changes in the local economic fabric.  

Projected vehicle flows are :  

• 60 visitor cars per day, rising to 100 in peak periods,  

• 5 staff vehicles,  

• two deliveries per week.  

It’s a far cry from the traffic of yesteryear, when lorry drivers stopped en masse before the motorway was built. However, residents will have to deal with vehicle movements at all hours. 

The developer assures us that interior noise levels will remain equivalent to ‘a living room conversation’. Insulating walls and an airlock at the entrance should limit the spread of noise. It remains to be seen whether local residents will agree with this assessment once the establishment is open.  

A compliant building, but a questionable style  

In terms of town planning, the application complies with the rules. The site is not in a Natura 2000 zone, and the building will be equipped with a heat pump and an individual wastewater treatment plant.  

The only concerns relate to aesthetics. Golden Palace wants to clad the façade in gold, white and black panels, characteristic of its brand. A strong visual identity that could stand out in the border landscape.  

Interestingly, the company has also bought the old customs house, located right in the middle of the road. But the future of the building remains unclear.   

The public has its say  

The complete dossier is available every morning from the Commune de Couvin’s town planning department, and the public enquiry will continue until 23 December.  

The coming weeks will tell whether the Golden Palace project will be seen as an opportunity or as a mistake.