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France to Target Betfair

Controversy seems to be the central theme for the news this month and the pending France online casino gambling regulations are taking the brunt of the media fervor this week. Over the past several months the European Commission and several player advocacy groups have worked with the French government to develop fair and inclusive regulations for the French market that comply with EU trade policies and commitments France has made within the EU while also creative a safe gambling environment for the French citizens. The draft regulations were released to the industry for further consideration earlier this year and French officials have made several concessions to appease the online casinos and internet poker sites that will be licensed and operating out of the country.

The new controversy though centers on some last minute legislation that has found its way into the bill. Although the French draft regulations did not have specific exclusions for the betting exchange industry, a newly added section of the regulations would now completely exclude this sector of the market. And what makes this situation even more controversial is the fact that excluding betting exchange companies largely excludes just one company, Betfair. Although there are a lot of online casinos and a lot of choices out on the market, Betfair controls roughly 90 percent of the global exchange, or open-market betting.

Betfair is claiming discrimination now that this new clause was added to the French online casino gambling regulations. Nearly all other internet betting companies would legally be able to apply for a license to operate in France and offer bets on French games, but Betfair and any company offering exchange betting would be illegal. This last-minute addition was caught just in the nick of time so that perhaps Betfair can petition for further action to be done before the regulations are fully approved.