At Saint-Raphaël, a retiree won the biggest jackpot of the year at the Barrière casino, pocketing over 44,000 euros.
The luck shined this Sunday at the Barrière Casino in Saint-Raphaël. A regular visitor, an octogenarian named Francine, hit the biggest jackpot of the year 2026, turning a simple bet of 88 cents into an exceptional gain of 44,196 euros. A moment of great emotion for this loyal player who becomes, at this stage, the biggest winner of the establishment for the current year.
A Sunday with 44,196 euros
As usual, Francine, a retiree from Saint-Raphaël, came to have fun by playing small amounts. She sat at her favorite slot machine, a modern and popular machine with an Asian theme, offering 243 winning combinations. After only a few minutes, while she had just started a new game for 88 cents, the reels lined up and the jackpot signal sounded throughout the gaming room. The screen displayed the amount of 44,196 euros, the biggest progressive jackpot on offer in the casino.
“I can’t believe it”
Surprised and overwhelmed by emotion, the winner took time to realize the extent of her win. Although she wanted to remain anonymous, she shared her joy with the casino staff. “It’s extraordinary, I can’t believe it. I have never won such an amount. At the moment, I am really overwhelmed by emotion, I still don’t know what I’m going to do with it,” she confided. This event perfectly illustrates the intense moments of life that a gaming establishment can offer. (*The name has been changed to preserve the winner’s anonymity).
A record for 2026, but not an absolute record
This win of 44,196 euros tops the podium for the 2026 jackpots at the Saint-Raphaël casino, ahead of a 23,887 euro win on January 23 and another 21,413 euro win on February 13. However, it does not surpass the absolute record of the establishment, set in September 2025 with a jackpot of 73,018 euros. According to the management, thrill-seekers can still hope, as other significant jackpots are in play. In fact, the jackpot of the machine on which Francine won has already been reset and has reached the sum of 40,000 euros.
The satisfaction of the Barrière Casino
For the management of the establishment, this event is a source of great satisfaction. “The Casino de Saint-Raphaël is a place of entertainment and emotions, as proven once again by the very nice jackpot that fell this Sunday. Congratulations to our happy winner, who is very much appreciated by the casino teams for her kindness. We are very happy for her, it’s a very beautiful story, as we have several times a year,” said Herve Couroux, General Manager of the Casino Barrière Saint-Raphaël.
Nestled at the foot of the Estérel massif, the casino employs 75 staff members and welcomed over 260,000 visitors last year. It offers a diverse range of games with 150 slot machines, 37 electronic gaming stations, and 5 traditional gaming tables. The establishment belongs to the Barrière Group, a major player in upscale leisure in France, operating 32 casinos, 20 luxury hotels, and nearly 200 restaurants and bars.
