Brussels casino contract under fire over conflict of interest claims

Brussels city councillor Benoit Hellings (Ecolo) has lodged a complaint against mayor Philippe Close (PS) regarding an alleged possible conflict of interest concerning the capital’s casino, noting that the concession was awarded to a company with ties to another firm of which Close is an independent director.

Close did not abstain from taking part in the July meeting where the concession for the casino - currently operated by Viage - was awarded to Napoleon Games, a company that is also a major sponsor of the Anderlecht football club (RSCA).

Hellings said that Close being an independent director at RSCA is against new ethical regulations that the City of Brussels adopted in June, which stipulate that a local authority representative "must declare any personal interest in matters and must not take part in deliberations or voting when a potential conflict of interest arises".

Close joined the RSCA board of directors in 2020. In July 2024, the football club further strengthened its commercial partnership with Napoleon Sports.

“During a meeting held on 17 July 2026, the council - in the presence of Close, who chaired the meeting - decided to award the concession agreement for the Brussels Casino to Napoleon Games for a period of 15 years, with effect from 1 January 2027,” Hellings said.

“How can one completely disregard the very essence of a code of conduct that had been approved barely 18 days earlier?”

With a market estimated at €750 million and annual revenue for the city of around €10 million, the Brussels casino is the largest and most profitable in the country.

“We’re not talking about a chip shop here, we’re talking about a casino,” Hellings said.

“It’s disgraceful, given the links he has with this company, as he sits on another board of directors. This isn’t right. It’s very bad for the image of the City of Brussels.”

The municipal secretary will investigate Hellings’ report, but no sanctions are attached to a possible breach.

Close has firmly denied that there is any conflict of interest.

“No politician would put a €750 million contract at risk for a shirt sponsor,” reads a brief statement from spokesperson Victor Kanyanzira.

“The bids were assessed by a committee of experts, of which Philippe Close was not a member. This committee considered this bid to be the best on the basis of pre-established criteria. The college of the City of Brussels followed the committee’s decision.”

Napoleon Games did refer to its commercial partners, such as RSCA, in its bid for the casino. These partners are relied upon to guarantee the brand’s visibility and to bolster the casino’s ambitions in Brussels.

Plans for the casino are on hold regardless. The current operator, Viage, lodged an appeal against the decision to give the concession to Napoleon Games, arguing that it was insufficiently substantiated. The auditor of Belgium’s Council of State agreed and recommended a suspension.