Major gambling companies operating in Europe hope that France will revise its gambling law. In France, offering online casino games is not allowed, and they believe this should change.
Several major names in the European gambling industry have expressed hope that the French government will revise the current gambling law, as reported by EGR.
Years ago, the French government legalized online sports betting, horse race betting, and poker, but deemed casino games too risky. According to the government, online casino games are more likely to lead to risky gambling behavior. Games like blackjack and roulette can only be legally played in land-based casinos in France. The gambling law in France has led to an illegal market.
Earlier this year, the CEO of Betclic Group, Nicolas Béraud, was a guest on the radio program Franceinfo on the Radio France station. He called for the legalization of online casino games, not only to steer players away from illegal offerings, but also because the French treasury is losing out on significant revenue due to the current law. His company shared the appearance on their LinkedIn page.
Here are some of prohibitions and restrictions on gambling which are in effect in Europe
- Sweden: In January 2019, Sweden implemented a new gambling law that aimed to regulate the online gambling market and prohibit unlicensed operators from offering their services in the country. The law introduced a licensing system for online gambling operators and imposed strict regulations on advertising and player protection.
- Netherlands: In April 2021, the Netherlands implemented a new gambling law that legalized online gambling and introduced a licensing system for operators. The law also included provisions to prohibit unlicensed operators from targeting Dutch players and imposed strict regulations on advertising and player protection.
- Germany: In October 2020, Germany passed a new gambling law that aims to regulate the online gambling market and prohibit unlicensed operators from offering their services in the country. The law introduces a licensing system for online gambling operators and imposes strict regulations on advertising, player protection, and responsible gambling measures.
- Switzerland: In January 2019, Switzerland implemented a new gambling law that legalized online gambling and introduced a licensing system for operators. The law also included provisions to block unlicensed operators from targeting Swiss players and imposed strict regulations on advertising and player protection.
- Lithuania: In July 2019, Lithuania passed a new gambling law that prohibited unlicensed online gambling operators from offering their services in the country. The law introduced a licensing system for online gambling operators and imposed strict regulations on advertising and player protection.
According to Béraud, the French online gambling market consists of only one-sixth of sports betting. This would mean that approximately five-sixths of the online gambling market in France is in the illegal sector. As a result, the French government is losing out on a significant amount of revenue, estimated at €1 billion from online casino games, according to Béraud.
Data from H2 Gambling Capital in 2021 (, 2.1 MB) revealed that France is one of the largest gambling markets in the European Union, with a turnover of €11 billion. Only Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom are reported to have larger gambling markets. However, the share of online gambling at 29% is one of the lowest in the EU. France is also one of the two EU countries where online casino games are still illegal; online casino games are not legalized in Cyprus as well.
Support from the gambling industry
Béraud’s stance on the gambling law in France was well-received by many key players in the European gambling industry. In addition to David Ozararat from Vbet France, Adrien Julian, Head of Corporate Affairs in France at the Kindred Group, emphasized, according to EGR, that one should not assume that something does not exist just because it is illegal.