France has long been on the list of online gambling activist groups. The French government is one of the European Union member nations that has supported a state run monopoly over gambling, lottery, and online gambling activities. Recently they announced they would be relaxing those laws. This, however, did not relax most attitudes of right to choose groups such as, Right2Bet. Online gambling groups were happy that progress was made, but still agitated over it being such small steps. They also thought the new French laws were only for show. Online gambling groups claimed that the relaxed laws still only offered online gambling licenses to French companies or those foreign companies willing to pay high tax rates on operating within French borders. Groups felt the law wanted companies to work in France, but at the same time discouraged companies from working in France.
If discouraging was the goal, than it worked. Big online gambling companies like the sportsbook, William Hill, opted out of working in France. If giving the French gambling public more options was the goal, than that also worked. Many online gambling companies still applied for licenses to operate their online casino, sports gambling and poker sites. In all, a French report stated that thirty-five online gambling companies applied for a French license. Of the thirty-five, eleven companies were granted a total of seventeen licenses between them.
The online gambling companies who received licenses were, BES SS, Betclic, Beturf, Everest Gaming, France Pari, Iliad Gaming, Pari Mutuel Urbain, Sajoo, SPS Betting France, Table 14, as well as the state run Francaise des Jeux. These eleven online gambling companies will be able to operate sites dedicated to online horse racing gambling, online sports gambling, and online poker. The president of France’s gambling regulator, Arjel, Jean-Francois Vilotte, was pleased with the number of applicants. He also stated that none of the companies that applied were officially turned down.
