written and last updated by
Sam Smith at
08 Nov 2024
Journalist, Editorial Department
France is set to conduct a six-month consultation process to assess whether the country will regulate online casinos by 2025. This announcement follows a meeting of stakeholders in the gambling sector, organized by Budget Minister Laurent Saint-Martin earlier this week.
Around 50 delegates from the casino, horse racing, and online betting sectors attended the event on Wednesday. Members of parliament, as well as representatives from mayors' associations and player protection groups, were also present. Industry leaders expressed their appreciation for the government's willingness to acknowledge and discuss the issue, a departure from the previous administration's stance.
The trade organization for online operators, AFJEL, once again raised concerns about the size of the illegal online casino market in France. Its representative, Isabelle Gian, stated, "I am pleased that the first step has been taken, and the denial of the problem has come to an end."
Grégory Rabuel, President of Casinos de France, and Fabrice Payet, Vice President of CdF, reiterated their calls for only French casinos to be allowed to operate online. Payet emphasized that if the market were fully opened, it would mirror the current sports betting segment, where three brands control 80% of the industry.
"Casinos de France will not repeat the mistake of 2010, when we allowed online companies to enter the regulated market with vast databases. As a result, they were able to capture an unattainable share of the entire industry," said Fabrice Payet.
The British Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), accompanied by bet365 and other major operators, also attended the conference. A representative stated to the audience that online casinos would not negatively impact the physical sector; rather, they would contribute to its growth by increasing volume and raising player awareness.
To evaluate this reform, the French government plans to establish three working groups. The consultations will last for six months, during which an initial decision will be made regarding the feasibility of regulating online casinos. In the final three months, representatives from the working groups will outline the implementation process for the reform.
It is worth noting that France's gross gaming revenue reached a record €13.4 billion in 2023.
