Ecolo Accuses Brussels Mayor of Casino Conflict of Interest

The Brussels opposition party Ecolo has filed a formal complaint alleging a conflict of interest against Mayor Philippe Close (PS) over the awarding of the city’s casino concession to Napoleon Games, a company that is also a main sponsor of RSC Anderlecht football club, where Close serves as an independent board administrator. The complaint, submitted Monday to the municipal secretary, invokes the city’s newly adopted Code of Deontology and Ethics, which explicitly prohibits local officials from using their influence to serve organizations in which they are directly or indirectly involved.

A €750 Million Concession Under Scrutiny

The controversy centers on the Brussels City government’s decision in July to award the 15-year casino concession to ECK NV, the company behind Napoleon Games, replacing Viage, which had operated the casino since 2010. The concession is valued at approximately €750 million, with an estimated annual revenue of around €10 million for the City of Brussels, according to RTBF.

The casino is described as the largest and most profitable gambling establishment in Belgium, making the award process particularly sensitive. Napoleon Games received a score of 91.02/100 in the evaluation, while Viage scored 87.74/100, as reported by Brussels Today.

The Alleged Conflict of Interest

At the heart of the controversy is Philippe Close’s dual role. The socialist mayor has served as an independent administrator of RSC Anderlecht since at least January 2020, a mandate he publicly acknowledged at the time, describing it as “totally free” with “no influence over the shareholding.” However, Napoleon Games is one of the club’s main commercial sponsors, creating what Ecolo calls an untenable overlap between the mayor’s public duties and his private affiliations.

“This is a flagrant conflict of interest for Philippe Close,” said Benoît Hellings, Ecolo group leader in the Brussels City Council, as quoted by La DH. “The socialist mayor decided to designate as manager of this temple of gambling a main commercial partner of RSCA, of which he is also an administrator.”

Hellings went further, telling RTBF: “It’s indecent, given the ties he has with this company, Napoleon, in another board of directors of which he is a member. You don’t buy the city of Brussels, especially when it comes to gambling.”

The Code of Deontology

The City of Brussels adopted its new Code of Deontology and Ethics on June 29, 2026, just weeks before the casino concession was awarded. The code explicitly states that “any local official cannot use their influence or voice to serve the interest of an organization in which they are directly or indirectly involved,” as RTBF reported at the time.

Hellings argues that Close should have recused himself from the entire decision-making process. “Philippe Close should very clearly have recused himself from the entire decision-making procedure for the designation of the Napoleon company,” he said.

Legal Challenge at the Council of State

The conflict of interest controversy comes amid an ongoing legal challenge to the concession award itself. Viage, the incumbent operator, filed an urgent appeal with the Council of State, and the auditor general has recommended suspension of the city’s decision, pointing to a lack of clarity in how scores were assigned to candidates, as reported by La DH. The Council of State is expected to rule on Friday, August 28.

City’s Response

The City of Brussels contests any violation, stating that the various offers were analyzed by an expert jury based on predefined criteria, according to RTL Info. Philippe Close declined to comment when contacted but denied the existence of any conflict of interest, as La Libre reported. RSC Anderlecht stated it was neither involved nor consulted in the casino concession process.

Broader Fiscal Implications

Beyond the ethical questions, the concession carries significant fiscal consequences. As part of the agreement, ECK/Napoleon Games will transfer its registered office and servers from Knokke-Heist in Flanders to Brussels, creating additional tax revenue for the Brussels Region from online gambling taxes, according to Brussels Today. This has reignited a fiscal battle between regions, with Flanders seeking to raise its online gambling tax from 11% to 15% while Brussels has declined to follow suit, projecting €37.6 million in gambling revenue for 2026.

What’s Next

All eyes now turn to the Council of State’s ruling on Friday, which could suspend the concession award and throw the entire process into uncertainty. The new concession is scheduled to begin on January 1, 2027, but both the legal challenge and the ethics complaint cast a shadow over the timeline. For Ecolo, the stakes extend beyond the casino itself. “It’s very bad for municipal finances, it’s very bad for the image of the City of Brussels,” Hellings warned. The outcome of this case may well set a precedent for how Brussels handles conflicts of interest in major public contracts going forward.