Casinos of Pornic
A historic French casino brand in Pornic, Loire-Atlantique, with seven successive casino buildings since 1853, today operated by Groupe Partouche at the Ria de Pornic complex.
Last updated September 26, 2026
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Overview
The Casinos of Pornic (Les Casinos de Pornic) are a series of casino establishments in the seaside town of Pornic, in the Loire-Atlantique department of western France. The town's first casino was built and inaugurated in 1853 at La Noëveillard, making it the sixth casino to be established on French national territory, after Dieppe, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Saint-Malo and Trouville. Over the following century and a half, seven casinos existed across five sites in the town, and five of the historic buildings still stand today, some of which have required heritage restoration work, with the most recent restoration beginning in 2024. The first casino opened in 1853 at La Noëveillard. A second, the Casino de la Terrasse, operated from 1859 to 1862 in a building on Place de la Terrasse that also housed a hotel and baths. A third casino was built in 1880 at the Plage de la Noëveillard, designed by Alfred Benoist and Léon-Félix Lenoir; it was later demolished and rebuilt in 1913 by architect Paul Devorsine with patronage from M. Fenaille, and was enlarged in 1931 by M. Wilfrid. Casino activity there ceased in 1932, and the building subsequently served as a reception hall for the town hall, a nightclub, a nautical club, a gastronomic restaurant and a beach bar. The fourth casino, also known as the Casino des Flots, opened in 1885 on the Plage de la Source in the Gourmalon cove, built for the Société immobilière des bains de mer de Pornic, founded in 1883 by Alfred Benoist and Léon-Félix Lenoir; Lenoir's design was inspired by the Palais du Trocadéro in Paris. It was sold in 1888 to Charles Lelan, purchased by the town in 1947, and since 1990 has been integrated into the Pornic thalassotherapy centre, which employs 170 people and includes a four-star hotel. The fifth casino, the Casino du Môle, was built before 1893 on Quai Leray and transformed in 1896 by Nantes architect Maurice Regnier; it was enlarged in 1908 by director M. Buisson, and until 1926 served a triple function as café, theatre and gaming room (baccara and petits chevaux). After a fire in 1992 it was rebuilt almost identically, preserving its façade. Following the opening of the Ria casino in 2018, the Môle site was converted into the Marius Lieu Epicurien brasserie and the gastronomic restaurant Marius à La Belle Etoile, with 410 covers and a 50-seat panoramic rooftop terrace. The seventh and current casino opened in 2018, when the casino moved from Quai Leray to the new Ria tourist complex east of the town centre. The new building, designed on an elliptical plan by Rouen architect Emmanuel Delabranche, includes an 800 m² gaming room with 150 machines (up from 102 in the former establishment) as well as poker tables, which had not previously existed. A 180 m² terrace adjoining the main room is described as the largest smoking gaming space in France. The Ria establishment also includes a 120-cover restaurant. The casino is operated by Groupe Partouche and has a restaurant.
History
The history of the Casinos of Pornic spans more than 170 years and seven casino establishments across five sites in the town of Pornic, Loire-Atlantique. The first casino was built and inaugurated in 1853 at La Noëveillard, becoming the sixth casino to open on French national territory, after Dieppe, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Saint-Malo and Trouville. In 1859, a second casino, the Casino de la Terrasse, was installed in a building on Place de la Terrasse that also housed a hotel and baths; its existence was very short, lasting only until 1862. The historic building of the Casino de la Terrasse still stands and has been undergoing heritage restoration work since 2024. A third casino was built in 1880 at the Plage de la Noëveillard, with the project led by M. Maucard, replacing the first casino of 1853. Its design was signed by Alfred Benoist and Léon-Félix Lenoir. The Café-Casino de la Noëveillard was later entirely demolished and a sixth casino (counting the two new casinos of Gourmalon in 1885 and du Môle in 1893) was rebuilt in 1913 with architect Paul Devorsine and the patronage of M. Fenaille. The Casino de la Noëveillard establishment was then relaunched by M. Wilfrid, who undertook an enlargement of the building in 1931. Casino activity ceased in 1932, and the building subsequently had other uses, including as a reception hall for the town hall, a nightclub, a nautical club, a gastronomic restaurant and a beach bar. The fourth casino of Pornic, also known as the Casino des Flots, was inaugurated in 1885 on the Plage de la Source in the Gourmalon cove, on behalf of the Société immobilière des bains de mer de Pornic, founded in 1883 by Alfred Benoist, a local notable who became mayor in 1871, and Léon-Félix Lenoir, a Nantes architect; the two had already partnered ten years earlier for the urbanisation of the site. Lenoir designed the new casino after being inspired by the Palais du Trocadéro in Paris. The casino was sold in 1888 to Charles Lelan, a wholesale grocer from Saint-Nazaire, who probably enlarged it at that time, as evidenced by a postcard showing a building attached to the rear façade of the original edifice. In 1911, Lenoir sued his colleague Jules Bureau, architect of the town of Royan, considering that the façade of the Alfred Amiot health house that Bureau had built there (destroyed in 1944 by bombing) was a plagiarism of his work. Lenoir won the case, as the judgment ordered among other things that Bureau's name be removed from the Amiot house if it had been affixed, and replaced with the mention: 'Built according to Lenoir's plans', all at Bureau's expense, even with the assistance of the police commissioner. In 1947, the town bought the establishment. Since 1990, the building has been integrated into the Pornic thalassotherapy centre, which employs 170 people and includes a four-star hotel. The fifth casino, the Casino du Môle, built before 1893 on Quai Leray, was transformed in 1896 by Maurice Regnier, architect in Nantes, to meet the needs of increasingly numerous holidaymakers coming to enjoy themselves after their sea bath. In 1908, the director at the time, M. Buisson, considerably reworked the building by enlarging it. After 1920, rooms were built on the terrace. Until 1926, the establishment had a triple function as a café, theatre hall and gaming room (baccara and petits chevaux). Following a fire in 1992 that ravaged the edifice, it was rebuilt almost identically, allowing its façade to be preserved. After the opening of the Ria casino in 2018, the Môle casino was converted into a brasserie restaurant, Marius Lieu Epicurien, and a gastronomic restaurant, Marius à La Belle Etoile, with 410 covers and notably a 50-seat panoramic rooftop terrace. The seventh casino, the Ria de Pornic, opened in 2018, when the casino left Quai Leray to settle in the new Ria tourist complex east of the town centre. The new building, designed on an elliptical plan by Rouen architect Emmanuel Delabranche, includes an 800 m² gaming room offering 150 machines (instead of 102 in the former establishment) as well as poker tables (which did not exist before). Extending from the main room, a 180 m² terrace constitutes the largest smoking gaming space in France. The Ria establishment also includes a 120-cover restaurant. The casino is operated by Groupe Partouche and has a restaurant.
- 2024
Heritage restoration work begins on the historic Casino de la Terrasse building.
- 2018
Seventh casino, the Ria de Pornic, opens; casino moves from Quai Leray to the new Ria tourist complex.
- 1992
Fire ravages the Casino du Môle; rebuilt almost identically preserving its façade.
- 1990
Casino des Flots building integrated into the Pornic thalassotherapy centre.
- 1947
Town of Pornic buys the Casino des Flots establishment.
- 1932
Casino activity at La Noëveillard ceases; building later used for other purposes.
- 1931
Casino de la Noëveillard enlarged by M. Wilfrid.
- 1913
Sixth casino rebuilt at La Noëveillard by architect Paul Devorsine with patronage of M. Fenaille.
- 1911
Léon-Félix Lenoir wins plagiarism lawsuit against architect Jules Bureau over the Alfred Amiot health house façade.
- 1908
Casino du Môle considerably enlarged by director M. Buisson.
Products and positioning
A historic seaside casino brand in Pornic, combining gaming with dining and heritage architecture, operated by Groupe Partouche.
Casino gaming (slot machines, poker tables)
Restaurant dining
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