The decision grants a temporary reprieve to current operators, including a subsidiary of Pansy Ho’s Estoril Sol, which is expected to bid to retain its Póvoa de Varzim license.
The extensions apply to the gaming zones of the Algarve, Espinho, and Póvoa de Varzim. In a statement, the government cited the need “to comply with all required formalities” in the complex tender process, which missed the original December 31st, 2025, deadline for awarding new contracts.
The incumbent holders, Solverde and Estoril Sol, will continue operations under the prolonged terms.
The current extensions follow a series of delays in a lucrative and closely watched licensing round. The government launched public tenders last year for five casino licenses across the three zones: three in the Algarve and one each in Espinho and Póvoa de Varzim. The new concessions are set for a 15-year term.
The existing contracts, originally expiring in 2023, had already been extended to the end of 2025 to compensate operators for pandemic-era closures. The latest three-month prolongation ensures continuity while the final stages of the tender are completed.
Estoril Sol, chaired by Macau gaming magnate Pansy Ho, currently operates the casino in Póvoa de Varzim, a city in northern Portugal’s Greater Porto region.
The preliminary qualification phase concluded on December 29th, identifying a competitive field of bidders. Besides the incumbents, qualified contenders include the Spanish groups Cirsa (backed by US fund Blackstone) and Comar, the French Lucien Barrière group, and the Canadian group Mercan.
While the final proposal deadline has passed for Póvoa de Varzim and Espinho, the submission window for the Algarve licenses remains open until January 4th, 2026.
A government-appointed jury will now analyze all final proposals before issuing a recommendation, moving the process toward a conclusive award later this year.
Dingnews.com 02/01/2026