Madeira tenders concession for Casino do Funchal
The Regional Government of Madeira approved the launch of an international tender to award the next exclusive concession for the operation of gambling games at Casino do Funchal. This competitive process is being opened in anticipation of the current license's expiration, scheduled for December 31, 2026. The resolution authorizing the award through a restricted tender with prequalification and international dissemination was adopted on July 15 and published on July 21 in the official gazette of the autonomous region.
The Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Environment, and Culture will be responsible for overseeing the process and executing the resulting concession contract. The decision confirms that the Funchal gaming zone will continue to operate under an exclusive concession model. Interested parties must pass a prequalification phase, where their financial soundness and technical capacity will be evaluated before submitting their definitive proposals. The legal framework for the process is based on Portugal's Gaming Law, which reserves casino operations for the State but allows concessions to be granted to private companies, as well as on the Portuguese public procurement code and Madeira's regional budget legislation for 2026.
The restricted procedure follows the same format used in casino concession tenders launched in mainland Portugal in 2025 and opens the process to international operators. Industry analysts had previously identified Cirsa, Groupe Barrière, and Comar among potential participants in the Portuguese tenders. With less than six months before the current concession expires, the timeline presents a tight deadline, as similar processes on the mainland did not conclude before the expiration of existing licenses and required temporary extensions to ensure the continuity of operations—a necessity that the Regional Government recognized to avoid disruptions in gaming activity, tourism, and investment during the transition.
The current concessionaire, ITI of the Pestana Group, which has held the concession since 1968 and operated Casino do Funchal since 1986, will not receive an automatic renewal and must compete on equal terms with new interested parties. Attention is now focused on the publication of the official tender documents, which are expected to detail the prequalification criteria, evaluation methodology, concession term, and investment obligations for participants.
Tags: Funchal Casino, Regional Government of Madeira, Pestana Group, casino tender in Portugal