Auditor General Recommends Suspension of Brussels Casino Licence Award to Napoleon Games After Viage Appeal

Viage has contested the award of the Brussels casino licence to Napoleon Games with the Belgian Council of State. The Auditor General has recommended suspending the appointment.

Brussels announced on July 17 that it selected Napoleon Games, a subsidiary of the Romanian group Superbet, from among six bids to run the country’s largest casino for 15 years starting January 1, 2027. The winning operator scored 91.02 out of 100, ahead of Viage’s 87.74. Viage is a subsidiary of Casinos Austria.

Scoring Gaps and Evaluation Challenges

The appeal focuses on the evaluation methods for the bids. A significant discrepancy emerged on the criterion for the proposed vision for the casino’s future, with Napoleon Games awarded 30 points against Viage’s 20 points. Two other candidates received 25 points on that measure. Given the narrow gap in overall rankings, this score carried heavy weight in the outcome.

As reported by Journal des Casinos, Viage contests that certain elements required in the specifications were not analysed while others not included in them were taken into consideration. The relocation of servers tied to online gaming activities was one point raised. The City of Brussels has defended its evaluation method and maintains it holds authority to compare the bids fairly.

Procedural Flaws and European Subsidy Rules

The Auditor General’s analysis questioned the decision-making process. The review found that candidates did not supply sufficiently detailed information to explain how scores were calculated. It also identified a lack of breakdown between certain sub-criteria, commitments that were not concrete enough, and several undated letters in Napoleon Games’ application. On multiple points the Auditor General determined that elements corresponding to the specifications were less developed in the Romanian operator’s bid than in Viage’s.

The tender further implicates European regulation on foreign subsidies. That framework requires reporting or notification to the European Commission when contract value reaches or exceeds €250m. The concession is estimated at €750m, well above the threshold. The Auditor General concluded that the city failed to set out these obligations in its tender documents and did not submit the required documentation to the Commission. The outcome of the Council of State review will determine whether the January 1, 2027 transition proceeds on schedule.

Reporting: G3 Newswire

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