French gambling market opens up
By Elena
15th April, 2008
French Minister Eric Woerth released a report yesterday that the French government is aiming to open up their gambling market to the European companies. The “controlled opening” of the market is scheduled for the year 2009 or 2010 depending on how smooth the process is going to be.
In the interview with a French newspaper, Le Parisien , Woerth stated that the EU companies who will wish to penetrate French market will have to oblige to the current regulations that are there to protect the gambling monopoly Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU). The companies will also have to be licensed under French regulations.
This means that all EU online gambling operators, including online poker, online casino, online bingo, online betting, etc, will be able to access the new market in the next two to three years.
Despite what seems to be a very regulated and strict market with no prospects of going larger than the chosen French monopoly; it is still better than nothing and comes as a pleasant surprise after UK and other European gambling operators lost the biggest market they ever had, the US, in the last year due to the new law the States introduced, claiming that the reason for such move was the welfare of their citizens and not the good business plan.
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