Portugal officially finalized in 20TH May 2026 the landmark casino concession process for the regions of Algarve, Espinho and Póvoa do Varzim, ending months of regulatory delays, temporary extensions and political pressure surrounding the future of the country’s land-based gaming industry. The decision was supervised by the Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ), the Portuguese gambling authority operating under Turismo de Portugal and the Ministry of Economy and Territorial Cohesion. The regulator is led in 2026 by Luís Filipe Coelho, director of the SRIJ.
The process formally began on July 24, 2025, when Portugal published international tenders in the Official Journal of the European Union for five casino licenses with a duration of 15 years. The initial deadline for bids was September 5, 2025, although administrative delays later forced temporary operational extensions of up to 120 days while proposals were evaluated.
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The final winners were:
- Algarve: Solverde retained the regional concession. The company is led in 2026 by Chairman Manuel Violas.
- Espinho: Solverde also secured the concession, reinforcing its dominance in northern Portugal’s gaming market.
- Póvoa do Varzim: the concession was awarded to Groupe Barrière, led by CEO Grégory Rabuel, officially marking Barrière’s entry into the Portuguese casino market after decades of control by Estoril Sol, chaired by Pansy Ho.
The concession model assigned:
- 50% weighting to the percentage offered over gross gaming revenue (GGR);
- 35% to the fixed annual concession fee;
- 15% to the minimum guaranteed variable payment.
Portugal expects the new contracts to generate more than €1 billion in public revenue during their lifetime, in addition to approximately €100.6 million in upfront payments. Algarve alone guarantees minimum annual contributions close to €10 million to the Portuguese State.
