JUSTICE : Rain of tickets and legal storm at Club Montmartre

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JUSTICE : Rain of tickets and legal storm at Club Montmartre

2025-03-21 - RICHARD Fabien

The manager of the prestigious Parisian club was arrested, while 160,000 euros in cash were discovered in a safe during a search.

An ordinary Thursday morning turned into a full-scale police operation for the BRDE investigators. Following a discreet but targeted investigation, law enforcement struck at the heart of the capital, getting their hands on a massive amount of cash inside the prestigious Club Montmartre.

A case shaking the foundations of legal gambling in France

It was a high-risk police raid that took place on March 19 in Paris’s 9th arrondissement. Club Montmartre, one of the oldest gambling clubs in the capital, found itself at the center of a legal storm. The club’s manager, suspected of large-scale fraud, was arrested after the discovery of €160,000 in cash hidden in a safe during a raid led by the Economic Crime Repression Brigade (BRDE).

The investigators are acting within the framework of a judicial inquiry opened for aggravated tax fraud and money laundering — a serious charge that has sent shockwaves through the Paris gambling ecosystem. According to our sources, the suspicions revolve around a covert system of undeclared income, bypassing all official oversight despite strict regulations on gambling clubs in Paris.

The manager was taken into custody and questioned for several hours. Police are working to determine the exact origin of the seized cash, as well as the possible scope of a hidden financial network. The scale of the suspicions could have consequences far beyond the walls of the club.

This crackdown raises concerns about the transparency of a sector that was supposed to be exemplary since the closure of the old gaming circles and the establishment of the new, regulated clubs overseen by the Ministry of the Interior. Club Montmartre, frequented by both passionate players and high-profile poker personalities, had maintained a relatively clean reputation until now.

The surprise is all the greater given that the club was one of the pioneers of this new era of legal gambling in France. The scandal could spread further. Several industry insiders, shocked by the news, fear a tightening of controls and a return to widespread suspicion.

This spectacular seizure comes at a tense time, with authorities increasing scrutiny of financial flows through gaming clubs. The National Gambling Authority (ANJ) has recently expressed concern over potential misconduct in some establishments.

The Paris public prosecutor has confirmed the opening of a large-scale judicial investigation. Club Montmartre has yet to make a public statement. But behind the scenes, worry is growing. If the allegations are confirmed, the entire industry could be destabilized.

This case is a stark reminder to all gambling operators of the need for impeccable management and complete transparency — or risk seeing the ghosts of the past return. In a sector long plagued by illegality, even the slightest breach can reopen old wounds.

As the legal process unfolds, one thing is certain: Parisian poker is far from done shaking.