Groupe Barrière has lost one of its most experienced directors. According to La Voix du Nord, Arnaud Loret, General Manager of Resort Barrière Lille, died on Saturday 31 October after falling down a flight of stairs as he left his home in central Lille. The regional daily reports that the emergency services were unable to resuscitate him.
One of the group’s largest portfolios
Arnaud Loret took charge of the Lille site in October 2024. He succeeded Laurent Balmier in the role. He ran a 40,000 sq m complex made up of a 12,000 sq m casino with 460 slot machines and 14 gaming tables, a 142-room five-star hotel with 17 suites, a 1,200-seat modular performance venue and a 680-space car park.
He was also in charge of operations at Casino Barrière Le Touquet. The resort employs nearly 300 people and generates revenue of more than €65m.
As La Voix du Nord reported when he arrived, the group had tasked him with preparing the new public service concession with the City of Lille, which is due to begin in 2027. He knew these procedures well, having already renegotiated a DSP and its specifications at Uriage-les-Bains in 2011.
From gaming employee to general manager
Arnaud Loret began his career with Barrière in 1995 as a gaming employee at the Saint-Malo casino. He became floor manager there before moving on to Deauville and then Niederbronn-les-Bains.
In 2002, he joined JOA Casinos. He first worked as slot machine director in Canet-en-Roussillon and then in Antibes. In 2007 he took up his first general manager role, at Le Tréport. From 2010 to 2016, he ran the Uriage casino, where he led a €5m extension in 2013-2014.
Return to Barrière
Arnaud Loret rejoined Barrière in 2017 to run the Blotzheim casino, near Basel-Mulhouse airport. Under his leadership, the venue reached a business volume of €50.2m in 2018 and ranked second among France’s casinos.
From 2019 to 2024, he ran Casino Théâtre Barrière de Bordeaux, in the Bordeaux-Lac convention district. There he managed a team of 130 and prepared the venue’s renovation before his appointment to Lille. He also completed the Business Manager programme at Grenoble École de Management in 2012-2013.
The editorial team of La Tribune de l’Hôtellerie extends its sincere condolences to his family, his loved ones and the teams at Groupe Barrière.
Analysis – His death comes at a decisive stage for the Lille site. The new concession is due to come into force in 2027, and his successor will need to pick up the file quickly.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
Arnaud Loret, GM of Resort Barrière Lille, dies aged in his 50s
Died on 31 October 2026 in Lille following an accidental fall
Led Resort Barrière Lille since October 2024, plus operations at Casino Barrière Le Touquet
Resort: 40,000 sq m, 142-room five-star hotel, casino, 1,200-seat theatre, revenue above €65m
Was preparing the new public service concession with the City of Lille, due in 2027
30-year casino career at Barrière and JOA, from croupier to general manager
