Portuguese casino licences temporarily extended as tender process delayed
The competition for new Portuguese casino licences will take another three months.
Portugal.- The Portuguese gambling regulator, the SRIJ, has temporarily extended the current land-based casino concessions in the Algarve, Espinho, and Póvoa de Varzim regions while it conducts a new tender. The move was announced after the regulator missed the December 31 target for completion of the tender process.
The regulator said the timeline had been extended to “comply with all required formalities”. The window for bids has closed, but the regulator must now evaluate the submitted bids.
One development that’s already clear is that the Estoril-Sol group, Portugal’s biggest land-based casino operator, will give up the casino in Póvoa de Varzim in Greater Porto after 25 years running the venue. The group, which is headed by Pansy Ho, confirmed in a filing with the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (CMVM) that its subsidiary, Varzim Sol – Turismo, Jogo e Animação, SA, did not submit a bid to retain the concession.
According to Portuguese media, only one bid was submitted for the casino, coming from France’s Groupe Lucien Barrière. However, as with other casinos, Varzim Sol’s operating rights were still extended for 120 days to allow time for that bid to be reviewed.
Estoril-Sol continues to run the casinos in Estoril and Lisbon, for which it obtained new concessions in 2023. The casino in Varzim is the smallest of its operations in Portugal. Lucien Barrière Group currently runs 32 casinos in France, Egypt, and Côte d’Ivoire.
Among the other casinos in Portugal up for tender, it’s been reported that Solverde is the sole applicant for the casino in Espinho. Solverde is also believed to have bid to renew its Algarve casino concessions in Praia da Rocha, Vilamoura and Portimão.
See also: Proposal for ban on gambling ads in Portugal moves forward
