Uncertainty looms over Paris’s table game and poker establishments following a meeting held this Monday at the Central Service for Racing and Gaming. The Judicial Police unit confirmed an administrative fear: the closure of gaming clubs by December 31.
Since casinos were banned in Paris due to a 1919 law, “gaming circles” operated in the capital as associations for years. These were shut down in 2017, only to reopen two years later as “Clubs de Jeux,” or gaming clubs under strict regulation allowing only “table games”—excluding roulette and slot machines. Initially set up as an experimental phase, this reopening is scheduled to end on December 31 and was expected to be extended for one more year.
The possible closure stems from the dissolution of the French National Assembly last June. The legislative elections that followed failed to produce a majority, nor did they yield a vote on the Finance bill project needed to allocate the state’s 2025 budget. The law failed to pass, leading to the fall of the Barnier government.
Without a legal framework or a functioning government, there’s no authority to extend the experimental phase of Parisian gaming clubs into 2025. If no decision is made, reopening in 2025 could take four to six months, the estimated time required for a new Interior Minister to address the issue.
Gaming Could Be Forced Underground
Ironically, the previous government seemed inclined to extend the experiment, as an amendment to that effect was included in the Finance law, and a proposal to make gaming clubs permanent had already been drafted, according to different sources.
The extension seemed even more logical given the government’s need for revenue to address the national debt. With €119 million in gross gaming revenue reported in 2023 by the National Gaming Authority, the seven gaming clubs contributed approximately €40 million to the state. This significant sum could be lost to illegal games, which may proliferate following the clubs’ closure.
At the same time, to counter the illegal market, the possibility of legalizing online casinos was even considered in the Finance Bill but was ultimately abandoned. However, discussions on this matter are still ongoing.
1,500 Jobs and Major Events at Risk
“This is an economic and social catastrophe. It’s psychologically tough for the teams. We are completely in the dark,” explained Christine Bonneau, managing director of Club Barrière, to the French newspaper Le Parisien. “This news is shocking for us. The situation is unprecedented and nonsensical. Hundreds of jobs are at risk. We urge the future government to find a solution quickly,” the Barrière group stated.
“The establishments, our lawyers, and our professional union are in contact with the ministries and are constantly engaging in discussions. We need to determine if we are forced to close and whether we can access technical unemployment or partial activity. However, it seems complicated because there is no longer any law or money in the coffers,” laments Sébastien Leclercq, Country Manager for Circus Casino in France, speaking on Dans le Carré.
The closure of gaming clubs would result in technical unemployment for 1,200 employees and impact numerous stakeholders in related sectors.
This includes companies like Texapoker, which planned to host its first European Championship of Poker in early January, and PokerStars, whose European Poker Tour Paris event now hangs in the balance.
A tiny glimmer of hope appeared with the presentation of a “special law” this week at the Council of Ministers, set to be debated next week in Parliament. The law is expected to allow the state to collect existing taxes for 2025, preventing any shutdown. However, this hope was short-lived, as an amendment addressing gaming clubs is not included. Industry stakeholders remain pessimistic, and the chances of considering a new bill on gaming clubs before the end of the year now seem increasingly slim, if not impossible.
