French Prime Minister Signs Order to Reopen Gaming Clubs in Paris

^{Pictured: François Bayrou, Prime Minister of France}

Paris gaming clubs have been cleared to reopen, according to Casino Nieuws. These venues were forced to shut down late last year amid France’s political turmoil.

Two months after operations were suspended, Prime Minister François Bayrou signed an order allowing gaming clubs to resume business. However, the authorization remains temporary, set for a two-year period.

The decision was welcomed by Casinos de France, the country’s gaming industry group. However, its president, Grégory Rabuel, stressed the need for a long-term solution to secure the legal status of gaming clubs in the French capital.

“A lasting legislative solution is essential to provide professionals in the sector with a stable framework conducive to job-creating investments and better tax revenues for the budgets of the State and the city of Paris,” Mr. Rabuel stated.

Additionally, Casinos de France has once again urged authorities to lift the ban on roulette in gaming clubs, arguing that allowing the game would boost industry revenues.

Notably, Paris has not had full-scale casinos since 1919. In the following years, gaming clubs emerged as their substitutes, but they were banned in 2017. A limited number were allowed to reopen in 2018 under a trial run initially set to end in 2020. The experiment was extended twice — first to 2022, then through 2024. The French parliament was expected to pass legislation allowing gaming clubs to continue operating, but the government’s resignation last year derailed those plans.

The shutdown also led to the cancellation of the Paris leg of the European Poker Tour, which was scheduled for February 2025.