France Senate moves to make Paris gaming clubs a permanent fixture
Summary
On 24 November the French Senate approved an amendment that would grant permanent status to gaming clubs in Paris, ending a pilot programme that began in February 2017. The clubs — restricted to poker and other card games (no roulette or slot machines) — have operated under temporary approval for almost nine years and were due to be made permanent subject to final budget approval by the National Assembly in 2026.
The Senate said making the clubs permanent would remove instability and uncertainty for operators after several extensions and some abrupt closures early in 2025. It highlighted that the pilot delivered a legal, regulated alternative to clandestine gambling, improved oversight to fight money laundering, and ensured transaction traceability. The venues reportedly generated around €120 million in annual revenue, including €40 million to the state and €10 million to the City of Paris, and supported several hundred jobs. Trade body Casinos de France welcomed the move as providing a clear legal framework for the model.
Key Points
- The Senate approved an amendment on 24 November to make Paris gaming clubs permanent, pending the National Assembly’s approval in the 2026 budget bill.
- Clubs have operated on a pilot basis since February 2017 and are limited to card games; electronic games and slots remain prohibited.
- The pilot produced roughly €120 million in annual revenue, contributed €40 million to the state and €10 million to Paris, and supported several hundred jobs.
- The Senate framed permanence as ending regulatory instability and reducing the risk of clandestine gambling by keeping operations transparent and traceable.
- Clubs will continue to be regulated under the Ministry of the Interior and Paris police, maintaining strict oversight and measures to prevent excessive gambling and money laundering.
- Casinos de France has publicly backed the decision, calling it a long-awaited legal clarity for the sector.
Context and relevance
This is a notable regulatory shift for the French land-based gaming scene. Formalising the Paris gaming-club model gives operators legal certainty and could stabilise local market dynamics that were volatile under repeated short-term renewals. The decision underlines a broader trend in regulating alternatives to underground gambling while balancing public-order and anti-money-laundering priorities.
For industry watchers, suppliers and investors the significance is twofold: it preserves a revenue-generating, city-centred model within strict limits (no electronic gaming), and it signals that French authorities are prepared to entrench tailored, city-specific gambling regulation rather than rely solely on national casino frameworks. The move may prompt scrutiny from other regions and could influence regulatory debates elsewhere in Europe about small-scale, tightly regulated gaming venues.
Why should I read this?
Quick heads-up: if you work in gaming, hospitality, regulation or finance in France (or just follow European gaming policy), this matters. The Senate’s move brings long-awaited stability to Paris operators, locks in a proven revenue stream and tightens the legal framework around previously fuzzy pilot rules — so contracts, compliance plans and investment decisions that were on hold can actually move forward.
Author style
Punchy: This isn’t a tweak — it’s a structural change that removes uncertainty for operators and legitimises a model that’s been quietly lucrative and tightly regulated. Read the detail if you need to adjust strategy, compliance or commercial plans in the Paris market.
Source
Source: https://igamingbusiness.com/casino-games/france-paris-gaming-clubs-permanent-fixture/
