Grand Cercle, Poker Bowl

Grand Cercle and Poker Bowl are two casino establishments located in the town of Aix-les-Bains in the Savoie department of France. They provide gaming entertainment that includes slot machines and a variety of table games typical of French casinos. In addition to gambling, the venues offer ancillary services such as bars, restaurants and event spaces aimed at both local residents and visiting tourists. The casinos operate under the regulatory framework established by the French Ministry of the Interior and other national gaming authorities, which oversee licensing and compliance for land‑based venues. Their primary market consists of patrons from the Alpine region and seasonal visitors drawn to the thermal spa town of Aix-les-Bains. The establishments are known for maintaining a traditional casino atmosphere while incorporating modern gaming technology.

In July 2024 both Grand Cercle and Poker Bowl were victims of a ransomware attack that encrypted critical server data, prompting an immediate temporary shutdown of operations. Management reported that containment measures were enacted swiftly to limit the spread of the malware, allowing slot machines to be restored relatively quickly while other services remained disrupted. The incident resulted in significant operational losses and led the casinos to file a criminal complaint, with France’s specialised cybercrime unit Ofac, under the direction of Paris prosecutors, leading the investigation. The attack highlighted the vulnerability of leisure and hospitality businesses to cyber threats and underscored the importance of incident response planning within the regulated gaming sector. Following the breach, the casinos have continued recovery efforts to fully restore all systems and resume normal service levels. The episode has become a notable case study for French casino operators regarding cyber resilience and cooperation with law‑enforcement agencies.