Home	Tutorial	Online Casino Reviews	Best Online Casinos	Casino Software	Casino News

Online Casino Gambling --- Casino News

WAAG: France: The Regulations

The new French gambling regulations have been under fire over the past month by several organizations because of small clauses and additions that have been thrown into the regulations at the last minute (like what was done to the US’s Safe Port Act in 2006). Beyond that current controversy though, the French online casino gambling regulations are fairly finalized and the European Commission and the European Gaming and Betting Authority have given general approval of the bulk of the drafted regulations. The emerging French gambling market will operate much like the Italian gambling market in that there will still be a gate-way into the gambling market. Before online casinos can enter the French market they will have to obtain a gambling license and agree to the advertising restrictions and taxation structure in France.

The initial French gambling regulations were introduced in February 2009 and the European Commission has since worked with the French government in the interim to amend aspects of the proposed laws that were not compliant with EU policies. The Commission rejected the drafted regulations in June and sent them back to the French government for further changes. In addition to the Commission, the EGBA and major online casinos and poker companies have weighed in draft regulations and requested changes. Now, in October, the French government will vote on the fully tweaked online casino gambling regulations.

If the regulations pass into law this month they will take effect on January 1, 2009. The new regulations call for a fully licensed gambling market that accepts nearly every form of popular gambling from online casinos to poker and betting. One controversial aspect that is currently under debate are regulatory changes that may exclude exchange betting from the French market. In addition to the licensing process licensed gambling sites will be subject to fairly hefty taxes that will fund the state coffers and support problem gambling support measures.