The French Budget Minister, Eric Woerth, yesterday released a proposal to open the French market to private online casinos and internet gambling sites.
The new online gambling law would see the country’s betting and gaming market opened to private competition, bringing France’s gaming law into compliance with its obligations under European law.
The measure contains requirements to obtain a French gaming licence, and tax rates for online casinos. Approval of licence requests is to begin soon, with legal online gambling to start January 1, 2010. The European Commission had been at odds with the French government over compliance with EU obligations to online gambling sites based in other member nations. France had considered a payment transaction ban, like the US UIGEA, but was warned off by the EC. While other EU nations have persisted with bans and monopolies, resulting in a clamour for stricter EC enforcement, France has found cooperating with the EU and satisfying its citizens can also bring new revenues.
