Casino de Marrakech Es Saadi

tomproject on March 17, 2026

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Casino de Marrakech Es Saadi — Quick Facts

Operator
FERMA DITM S.A.
Parent Company / Resort
Es Saadi Marrakech Resort (Bauchet-Bouhlal family)
Opened
1952 (renovated 2003)
Gaming Licence
Royal Dahir No. 1-65-206
Loyalty Programme
Es Saadi Membership (wellness & resort access)
Online Platform
None (land-based only)
Address
Rue Ibrahim El Mazini, Hivernage, Marrakech 40000
Gaming Hours
Slots 2 PM–5 AM • Tables 8 PM–5 AM • Poker 6 PM–8 AM
Gaming Floor
2,415 sq m • 100 slots & 22 tables
Hotel Rooms
150 hotel rooms + 92 palace suites + 10 villas + 8 ksars

Last Updated: March 2026 • Reading time: ~9 min • Reviewed by: Casinos Africa Editorial Team

Morocco’s first and most prestigious casino — a complete visitor’s guide to North Africa’s premier gaming destination

Casino de Marrakech Overview

Casino de Marrakech holds a singular distinction in North African gaming history: it was Morocco’s first casino, inaugurated in 1952 within the Es Saadi Resort complex in the fashionable Hivernage district. Founded by Jean Bauchet — the visionary behind Paris’s legendary Moulin Rouge — the casino has evolved over seven decades from a colonial-era entertainment venue into one of the continent’s most respected gaming establishments, now managed by three generations of the Bauchet-Bouhlal family.

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The name “Es Saadi” translates to “Le Bienheureux” (The Happy One) in Arabic, and the resort has lived up to its name as a sanctuary for international visitors seeking luxury and entertainment against the backdrop of the Atlas Mountains. A comprehensive renovation in 2003 modernised the gaming floor while preserving the property’s historical character, and today Casino de Marrakech stands as both a heritage landmark and a world-class gaming venue attracting poker professionals, high-stakes table players, and leisure gamblers from across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

100
Slot Machines
22
Table Games
2,415
Sq M Floor
1952
Established

Casino de Marrakech’s 2,415-square-metre gaming floor provides an elegant setting that blends Moroccan architectural motifs with contemporary casino design. The venue caters to both casual visitors and serious players, with clearly separated areas for electronic gaming, table games, and the internationally renowned poker room.

Slot Machines

The casino operates 100 slot machines offering video poker and video roulette alongside traditional reel slots. The electronic gaming section opens at 2:00 PM daily — earlier than the table games — making it accessible to afternoon visitors and hotel guests. Multi-denomination options accommodate a range of budgets, from casual players to more committed slot enthusiasts.

Table Games

Twenty-two gaming tables open nightly at 8:00 PM and operate until 5:00 AM. The table game selection reflects the casino’s French heritage and international clientele, featuring French Roulette, Blackjack, Stud Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. French Roulette in particular is a signature offering, consistent with Morocco’s historical ties to French gaming culture.

Poker Room

The dedicated poker room is the crown jewel of Casino de Marrakech and the primary driver of its international reputation. Operating from 6:00 PM to 8:00 AM — the longest hours of any section — the room hosts daily tournaments at 6:00 PM alongside cash games in Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Dealer’s Choice formats. The poker room has become a destination venue for major international tournament series, drawing professional players from around the world.

VIP Gaming & Membership

Casino de Marrakech caters to high-stakes players through its VIP gaming areas within the main casino floor. The Es Saadi Resort also offers an exclusive membership programme providing daily access to the Palace’s fitness, wellness, and leisure facilities — including the heated indoor pool, Oriental Thermae sensory journey, solarium, tennis and padel courts, and quarterly signature spa treatments. Members may introduce one guest per month.

VIP Access: High-stakes table limits and dedicated service are available for qualified players. The Es Saadi Membership programme complements casino VIP access with full resort wellness and leisure benefits, reflecting the property’s positioning as a luxury lifestyle destination.

Online Gaming & Sports Betting in Morocco

Casino de Marrakech operates exclusively as a land-based gaming venue with no dedicated online casino or sports betting platform. Morocco’s online gambling landscape exists in a legal grey area — there is no specific legislation addressing or regulating online gambling, though the government introduced a 30% withholding tax plus 2% solidarity contribution on foreign online winnings in 2025, signalling awareness of the growing offshore market.

Morocco’s Gambling Landscape: Land-based casinos are legally permitted under Dahir No. 1-65-206 (1966) and are located exclusively within hotels in tourist cities including Marrakech, Agadir, and El Jadida. The gambling sector is managed through three state monopolies: SOREC (horse racing and parimutuel betting), MDJS (fixed-odds sports betting and scratchcards), and Loterie Nationale (draw-based lotteries). No single national gambling regulator exists.

Industry Events & Poker Tournaments

Casino de Marrakech has established itself as North Africa’s premier poker tournament destination, regularly hosting events from the world’s most prestigious circuits:

🏆 World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOP-C)
🏆 World Poker Tour National (WPTN)
🃏 Unibet DeepStack Open (UDSO Marrakech)
🃏 Marrakech Poker Open (MPO)
🃏 Winamax Sismix
📰 PokerNews Media Coverage

The Unibet DeepStack Open Marrakech edition in September 2024 was a record-breaking festival, with the series confirming a return in 2025. The Marrakech Poker Open runs annually (most recently July 29–August 4, 2024), and WSOP Circuit events scheduled for January 2026 underline the casino’s position in the international poker calendar. These tournaments generate significant tourism revenue for Marrakech and position the casino alongside established European poker destinations.

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Dining & Entertainment

The Es Saadi Resort complex offers an exceptional range of dining options across its various properties. Within the casino itself, L’Épicurien serves refined international cuisine with French and Mediterranean influences, designed for pre- and post-gaming dining.

The broader resort dining portfolio includes La Cour des Lions (recognised by International Restaurant Awards as Best Fine Dining, serving elevated traditional Moroccan dishes), Othello (Venetian-inspired seafood and vegetarian options), Le Saadi (traditional Moroccan and French gourmet cuisine, the resort’s original restaurant since 1966), and Autour de la Piscine (Mediterranean cuisine with organic produce). Evening entertainment extends to the Theatro Night Club and the atmospheric Piano Bar.

Accommodation

The Es Saadi Resort comprises four distinct accommodation categories totalling over 260 units. The Es Saadi Hotel offers 150 rooms with air conditioning, flat-screen TVs, mini-bars, and balconies overlooking pools, gardens, or the Atlas Mountains. The Es Saadi Palace features 92 suites including 84 with panoramic terraces. For ultimate luxury, 10 private villas each feature a heated pool, dedicated butler service, and unique theming (Andalusian, Persian, Art Deco), while 8 Ksars — Berber-style villas spanning 160 square metres across two floors — offer an authentically Moroccan experience with private heated pools.

Resort amenities include a 3,000-square-metre lagoon pool, Oriental Thermae spa with hammam and sauna, hydrotherapy circuit, tennis and padel courts, fitness centre, and 7,000 square metres of landscaped gardens.

Regulatory & Licensing Information

Casino de Marrakech operates under the legal framework established by Dahir No. 1-65-206 (1966), which authorises land-based casinos, lotteries, and parimutuel betting in Morocco. The casino is operated by FERMA DITM S.A. with share capital of MAD 40,000,000. Morocco permits casinos exclusively within hotel complexes in designated tourist cities — a framework that has kept the number of licensed casinos small and confined to Marrakech, Agadir, El Jadida, and Tangier.

Entry Requirements: All visitors must present valid government-issued identification (passport for international visitors, Carte Nationale d’Identité for Moroccan nationals). While Moroccan nationals are not explicitly prohibited from gambling by law, casinos exercise discretion in admission and primarily serve international tourists. The minimum age is 18 years.
Taxation (from 2025): 30% withholding tax on gambling winnings from foreign online platforms, plus 2% solidarity contribution • Land-based casino winnings taxation follows existing Moroccan fiscal rules.

Recent News & Developments

Casino Es Saadi Corruption Case Concluded (December 2024): Morocco’s Court of Cassation rejected final appeals from defendants in the long-running “Casino Es Saadi” corruption case on 18 December 2024, concluding a 15-year judicial procedure. The case involved former Marrakech local officials charged with corruption and misappropriation of public funds related to the land cession for the casino in 2001. The court upheld sentences rendered in 2020 by the Court of Appeal. Importantly, the case concerned former government officials rather than casino management or operations.

Poker Expansion (2024–2026): Casino de Marrakech has aggressively expanded its poker tournament calendar, adding WSOP Circuit events for January 2026 and hosting a record-breaking UDSO Marrakech in September 2024. This positions the venue as an increasingly serious rival to established European poker destinations like Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Prague.

Morocco Online Gambling Tax (2025): The Moroccan government introduced a 30% withholding tax plus 2% solidarity contribution on winnings from foreign online gambling platforms, signalling a pragmatic approach to the growing offshore market while maintaining the land-based casino monopoly model.

Visitor Information

Address: Rue Ibrahim El Mazini, Hivernage, Marrakech 40000, Morocco
Location: Heart of Marrakech’s Hivernage district, with views of the Atlas Mountains, close to Jemaa el-Fna and the Medina
Slots Hours: 2:00 PM to 5:00 AM daily
Table Games: 8:00 PM to 5:00 AM daily
Poker Room: 6:00 PM to 8:00 AM daily (tournaments at 6 PM)
Dress Code: Smart casual — no shorts, flip-flops, or beachwear
Age Requirement: 18+ years with valid government-issued ID
Currency: Moroccan Dirham (MAD) • Major credit cards accepted
Contact: +212 (0)524 448 811 • [email protected]

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns and operates Casino de Marrakech?
Casino de Marrakech is operated by FERMA DITM S.A. (share capital MAD 40 million) and is part of the Es Saadi Marrakech Resort. The resort has been owned and managed by the Bauchet-Bouhlal family for three generations, founded by Jean Bauchet — who also developed Paris’s Moulin Rouge. Élisabeth Bauchet-Bouhlal currently oversees the resort’s direction.
How many slot machines and table games does Casino de Marrakech have?
The casino operates 100 slot machines (including video poker and video roulette, open 2 PM to 5 AM) and 22 table games including French Roulette, Blackjack, Stud Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em (open 8 PM to 5 AM). A dedicated poker room operates from 6 PM to 8 AM with daily tournaments at 6 PM. The gaming floor covers 2,415 square metres.
Is gambling legal in Morocco?
Yes. Land-based casinos are legal under Dahir No. 1-65-206 (1966) and are permitted exclusively within hotel complexes in designated tourist cities. Morocco does not have a single national gambling regulator; instead, the sector is managed by three state monopolies: SOREC (horse racing), MDJS (sports betting and scratchcards), and Loterie Nationale (draw-based lotteries). Online gambling is not specifically regulated.
Can Moroccan nationals gamble at Casino de Marrakech?
Moroccan nationals are not explicitly prohibited from gambling by law. However, casinos primarily serve international tourists and exercise discretion in admission policies. All visitors must present valid government-issued identification — a passport for international visitors or Carte Nationale d’Identité for Moroccan nationals. The minimum age is 18 years.
Does Casino de Marrakech host poker tournaments?
Yes. Casino de Marrakech is North Africa’s premier poker tournament venue, hosting major international circuits including the World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOP-C), World Poker Tour National (WPTN), Unibet DeepStack Open (UDSO), Marrakech Poker Open (MPO), and Winamax Sismix. Daily poker tournaments run at 6 PM, and the dedicated poker room operates from 6 PM to 8 AM.
What accommodation is available at Es Saadi Resort?
Es Saadi Resort offers over 260 units across four categories: the 150-room Es Saadi Hotel with mountain and garden views, the 92-suite Es Saadi Palace with panoramic terraces, 10 private villas with heated pools and butler service, and 8 Berber-style Ksars spanning 160 square metres each. Amenities include a 3,000-sqm lagoon pool, Oriental Thermae spa, tennis and padel courts, and 7,000 sqm of gardens.

⚠️ Responsible Gambling Notice: Gambling involves risk. Play responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, seek support from a licensed counselling service. Casino de Marrakech operates under licence granted by Royal Dahir No. 1-65-206 under Moroccan gambling law. Players must be 18+ years.
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