Cirsa Buys Casino Figueira in Portugal Land Expansion

Cirsa has acquired a majority stake in Sociedade Figueira Praia, the operator of Casino Figueira on Portugal's Atlantic coast, the Spanish gaming group announced on July 20, 2026. The deal gives Cirsa its first land based casino in Portugal, pairing it with the online operator CasinoPortugal.pt that Cirsa bought a majority stake in during late 2024 and early 2025, and marking another step in a Portugal strategy built around owning both the digital and physical sides of the market.

Key facts

• Cirsa announced the majority stake acquisition in Sociedade Figueira Praia, owner of Casino Figueira, on July 20, 2026, according to iGaming Business.
• Casino Figueira has held a gaming license since 1948, per Focus Gaming News.
• Cirsa reported first quarter 2026 operating revenue of 623 million euros, up 8 percent year on year, with operating profit of 194 million euros.

What exactly did Cirsa acquire in Portugal?

Cirsa has taken a majority ownership position in Sociedade Figueira Praia, S.A., the company that holds the gaming license for and operates Casino Figueira in the coastal town of Figueira da Foz. The casino's offering includes gaming floors, a restaurant, and an events venue, and the deal was funded from Cirsa's existing cash resources rather than new debt, with the group saying it expects no material impact on leverage.

Why is Casino Figueira historically significant?

Casino Figueira has operated under a gaming license since 1948, making it, in Cirsa's own description, one of the most historic casinos on the Iberian Peninsula. Its longevity and location on Portugal's Atlantic coast in Figueira da Foz give Cirsa an established, licensed land based asset rather than a market entry from scratch.

How much did Cirsa pay for the deal?

Cirsa has not disclosed the purchase price or the exact percentage of the stake acquired. The company has said only that the transaction is being funded from existing cash resources and will not materially affect its leverage position, in line with how it has structured its other recent bolt on acquisitions.

Why is Cirsa targeting Portugal for expansion?

Portugal gives Cirsa a market adjacent to its home base in Spain with an established regulated gaming sector across both online and land based channels. Cirsa already entered the online side of that market when it acquired a majority, 68 percent, stake in CasinoPortugal.pt, a deal that closed in early January 2025 following regulatory approval, according to reporting at the time by Yogonet and the Portugal News. Casino Figueira extends that footprint into physical gaming for the first time.

How does this fit Cirsa's omnichannel strategy?

Cirsa has been explicit that it wants to operate online and land based gaming together rather than as separate businesses. Executive Chairman Joaquim Agut said the Casino Figueira purchase, combined with the earlier CasinoPortugal.pt deal, "reinforces our ability to offer an integrated gaming and entertainment proposition" in the Portuguese market. CEO Antonio Hostench described the transaction as reinforcing Cirsa's presence in Portugal and "a decisive step forward in our omnichannel growth strategy in Europe."

What did Cirsa executives say about the deal?

Beyond the omnichannel framing, Cirsa's leadership positioned Casino Figueira as a landmark asset rather than a purely financial play. Hostench called it a "landmark asset in Portugal's entertainment sector," language that points to Cirsa treating the historic casino as a flagship property for its Portuguese operations, not just an additional revenue line.

How is Cirsa performing financially in 2026?

The acquisition comes as Cirsa's underlying business keeps growing. The group reported first quarter 2026 operating revenue of 623 million euros, an 8 percent increase year on year, with operating profit of 194 million euros over the same period. That growth gives Cirsa the balance sheet room to keep funding acquisitions from cash rather than new borrowing.

What other markets has Cirsa expanded into recently?

Portugal is only the latest stop in a rapid run of deals. Cirsa has completed more than 130 acquisitions since 2015, and its most recent moves outside Iberia include taking a majority stake in Paraguay's Slots del Sol, an operator with both online and land based operations. The group already has a presence in Peru through Apuesta Total and in Colombia through Sportium, giving it a broad footprint across Latin America alongside its European base.

How does the Casino Figueira deal compare with the CasinoPortugal.pt acquisition?

The two deals together show a clear sequencing: Cirsa entered Portugal online first, then followed with a land based asset roughly a year and a half later once the online business was established. The table below sets out how the two Portuguese acquisitions compare.

Cirsa's Portugal acquisitions compared

Deal	Announced	Channel	Asset
CasinoPortugal.pt	Closed January 2025	Online	68 percent stake in an online betting and casino operator
Casino Figueira	July 20, 2026	Land based	Majority stake in Sociedade Figueira Praia, licensed since 1948

What does this mean for Portugal's gaming market?

A large international operator building both online and land based positions in the same small market signals confidence in Portugal's regulated gaming sector and could put competitive pressure on other land based casino operators to consider consolidation or partnership deals of their own. It also gives Cirsa a base to cross promote between its online CasinoPortugal.pt customers and the physical Casino Figueira property, an approach the group has used elsewhere in its portfolio.

What's next for Cirsa's M&A strategy?

Cirsa has signaled it expects to keep pursuing bolt on acquisitions funded from cash flow, building on its pattern of more than 130 deals since 2015 across Europe and Latin America. Portugal now looks like a completed two part entry, online then land based, that the group could look to replicate in other adjacent European or Latin American markets where it does not yet have a full omnichannel presence.

Frequently asked questions

What did Cirsa acquire in Portugal?
A majority stake in Sociedade Figueira Praia, the operator of Casino Figueira in Figueira da Foz, announced on July 20, 2026.

How much did Cirsa pay?
Cirsa has not disclosed the price. It said the deal is funded from existing cash and will not materially affect its leverage.

Is this Cirsa's first Portugal deal?
No. Cirsa first entered Portugal in early 2025 with a 68 percent stake in the online operator CasinoPortugal.pt. Casino Figueira is its first land based asset there.

How old is Casino Figueira?
It has held a gaming license since 1948 and is described as one of the most historic casinos on the Iberian Peninsula.

How is Cirsa performing financially?
Cirsa reported first quarter 2026 operating revenue of 623 million euros, up 8 percent year on year, and operating profit of 194 million euros.

Updated July 2026.