Brussels withdraws July award for Casino van Brussel concession

The City of Brussels has officially withdrawn the 17 July 2026 decision that had awarded the 15-year concession for the Casino van Brussel to E.C.K., the company behind Napoleon Games, after the award was suspended by the Raad van State. The administrative court suspended the grant on 31 August 2026 in judgment no. 267.514 following a challenge by Casinos Austria International Belgium, the current operator trading as Viage.

What the City withdrew on 21 September 2026

During the municipal council on 21 September 2026 the City of Brussels announced it would rescind the July award to E.C.K. That award had been the outcome of the selection process to appoint a new operator to run the Casino van Brussel from 1 January 2027 under a 15-year concession. The City’s rescission follows the administrative court’s suspension on 31 August 2026 after Casinos Austria International Belgium brought a legal challenge.

Why the Raad van State intervened and what it found

The Raad van State identified shortcomings in the way the City had motivated its evaluation of bids. The court specifically flagged issues in the assessment of certain partnerships proposed by the selected candidate and in compliance with obligations linked to the European foreign subsidies regulation. Those findings prevented the City from replacing the withdrawn decision with an immediate new award.

The City must now determine which parts of the existing procedure can be resumed and which elements need supplementation before any fresh decision can be taken.

Candidates, exclusions and the financial scale of the file

Six bidders originally submitted offers for the 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 later excluded on grounds of substantial irregularities during the procedure.

The City had estimated the concession’s value at €750,000,000 excluding VAT over fifteen years. That figure underlines why compliance with Belgian and European legal obligations, including the foreign subsidies regulation, has become central to the process.

Deadlines, offers and the immediate operational risk

The critical operational date remains 1 January 2027, when the current concession held by Viage expires. Without a new, legally valid award or a negotiated interim arrangement, the casino risks being without an operator from that date.

On 14 September 2026 the City sent a letter to candidates asking them to confirm within ten working days that their proposals remain valid until 3 February 2027. The step preserves the option to continue assessing the already submitted tenders and avoids expiry of offer validity while the legal implications of the Raad van State ruling are examined.

Viage has indicated it will not continue to operate after 31 December 2026 on the basis of a mere extension of the existing concession. In a letter to the City and the Brussels government the current operator rejected a simple prolongation and instead requested a renewed evaluation of the bids in light of the Raad van State judgment.

The City has said it remains prepared to discuss solutions with the current operator to preserve continuity, but any temporary extension would require bilateral agreement between the parties.

Political and workforce implications

The uncertainty affects 286 employees of the Casino van Brussel, who have sought clarity about their jobs. The dossier also carries a political dimension because of the involvement of the City’s executive, including mayor Philippe Close, though available documents do not establish a legal conflict of interest.

Councillor Nawal Ben Hamou told the municipal council that the City is still considering talks with the incumbent operator to find a continuity solution. Any extension would therefore depend on both sides reaching an agreement.

Next steps for the City and likely procedural options

The City faces three primary options: continue the current procedure after remedying the deficiencies identified by the Raad van State, restart the tender process, or negotiate a temporary agreement with Viage to bridge to a later award. The 14 September request for offer validity through 3 February 2027 preserves the possibility of continuing the present procurement, but does not resolve the legal gaps the court pinpointed.

Procurement teams will need to re-examine the scoring and motivation of bid evaluations, document the assessment of proposed partnerships, and confirm compliance with the European foreign subsidies rules before any award can safely be reissued.

For coverage of the legal dimensions of public procurement and regulatory compliance see our regulation and operational implications for venue operators in b2b.