A new chapter is opening in this spa town. After an absence of several decades, a casino is returning to centre stage. But this renaissance, spearheaded by the Belgian Golden Palace group, is not being met with unanimous approval.
The casino project
Historically, Thonon-les-Bains has been home to a gambling establishment since the early XIXᵉ century, set in the heart of the spa park. This return is an extension of this tradition, but with modern ambitions: tourism, urban dynamism and respect for the environment.
The site chosen for this future casino is revealing: a former railway wasteland next to the SNCF station, with 600 parking spaces nearby, a 4,000 m² park and a project for a positive energy building, the first of its kind in the world according to the people behind the project.
The opposition is growing
While the municipality is boasting about its exemplary urban regeneration, local residents are denouncing an intrusion into their daily lives:
“We are involved in an urban casino project, because this casino is not in a bucolic location, it’s not by the lake, but at Thonon station, Place de Crête, in the heart of the town. Urban casinos have a type of clientele that is local, and for this clientele, opposite France Travail, the local Mission, it will be a temptation, obviously the most vulnerable people will give in to this temptation, these are facts that we observe elsewhere in France,” explains Astrid Baud Roche, opposition town councillor.
On the one hand, the town council is presenting this project as a lever for economic, tourist and urban dynamism. On the other, a group of residents has launched a legal appeal, calling for the procedure to be halted.
The public enquiry, open until 13 June 2025 at the town hall, was the occasion for an outpouring of rational but worrying comments: noise impact, risk of gambling addiction, traffic, cohabitation of public and private spaces, etc.
At the same time, the security dimension is being discussed: the presence of the municipal police, the installation of surveillance cameras, the management of traffic flows, etc. These measures are supposed to reassure the population, but are not unanimously supported.
A breath of fresh air for the economy – a tense atmosphere
Golden Palace is announcing the creation of 70 non-relocatable jobs as soon as it opens, as well as a restaurant, a bar and various cultural events on the site. The investment, in excess of €30 million, will be entirely privately funded, with no municipal involvement. However, the city will benefit from an estimated €2.5 million in spin-offs over the life of the contract, with the casino and land transferred to the community in the future. But success is far from guaranteed.
Energy neutrality
One of the strongest arguments in favour of the Golden Palace project is its ecological ambition. The future building would be eco-designed, capable of producing more energy than it consumes. A technical feat that, if it comes to fruition, could make Thonon-les-Bains a model for sustainable casinos.
‘Instead of a listed historic building, it will be located in a new passive, eco-responsible establishment equipped with all modern conveniences,’ explains the management of the Golden Palace group.
However, some experts agree that achieving energy neutrality is a costly challenge, and one that is sometimes incompatible with the architectural constraints of a casino: permanent lighting, air conditioning, ventilation, operational kitchens… all energy-hungry items.
Legal battle
While the public enquiry into the casino project in Thonon-les-Bains ended on Friday 13 June, opponents of the project have announced that they have referred the matter to the Grenoble Administrative Court in an attempt to have the procedure suspended. The conclusions of the enquiry are now being analysed, and are expected to be published in the next few months. The residents also point out that no construction can legally begin without the approval of the Ministry of the Interior, an administrative green light that is not expected to be given for several months.
Despite this legal uncertainty, the Town Hall and Golden Palace group have stuck to their timetable, with a symbolic ground-breaking ceremony on Wednesday 25 June, attended by local councillors and the project’s promoters.
The stakes are much higher than the opening of a casino: they reflect the town’s vision of itself, its image and its future.