France Halts Online Casino Amendment from 2025 Budget
The proposal was expected to be part of the 2025 budget along with the launch of online casinos at some point next year. However, Budget Minister Laurent Saint-Martin has recently confirmed that the timeline has shifted as further discussions are required. The online casinos in France announcement has quickly sent local leaders and trade groups up in arms as the trade group, Casinos de France, and over a 100 mayors are proclaiming against the legislation, citing devastating economic effects and social ills should online casinos in France be legalized.
In an interview with Radio J, Minister Saint-Martin stated that more work is required on the proposal before it can be introduced. The minister admitted that land-based casinos in France will probably take the brunt of legalization where trade groups are already warning that approximately 30% of land-based casinos could be closed with the launch of online casinos in France. More than 100 mayors in France have signed a letter to argue that if land-based casinos are shuttered, their local budgets could collapse as land-based casinos in some places are the mainstay of the town when it comes to budgeting.
Proposal for Online Casinos in France not Completely off the Table
Commenting on the decision to pause the proposed launch to legalize online casinos in the country, Casinos de France President Gregory Rabuel stated that the association was relieved with the government heeding to industry calls and ultimately revisiting its efforts to regulate online casinos where it will engage in consultations with stakeholders instead.
Minister Saint-Martin, however, stated that the government will not pull the plug on the idea as of yet. Instead, the government will gather more input. France is one of only two members of the European Union to not regulate online casinos. The country is enjoying increase growth in its land-based casinos, especially with sports betting which is quite alarming to the regulator.
Current Status and Future of Legal Online Gambling in France
The current gambling laws in France, which were initially established in 2010, restricts online gambling to poker, horse racing, and sports betting. Online casinos, on the other hand, are still prohibited. The rise of illegal online casinos has been a major factor in the considerations of the government, with a National Gambling Authority (ANJ) study indicating that illegal online casinos in the country has generated between €748m and €1.5bn in GGR during 2023 which represents 5% to 11% of the French gambling market overall.
As for the future of regulated online casinos in France, it remains unclear but we are hoping that new information will become available in early 2025 to provide some indication as to where things are going. In the meantime, French players still have the option of playing at international online casinos that accept players from France.
