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    France withdraws proposed gambling amendment for more consultation

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    France withdraws its budget amendment, increasing the wait for legal online casinos in the region.

    The scope and reach of the online casino industry are continuously changing and expanding into more regions. Many countries are either changing legislation or adding legislation to include online gambling.

    France has been quite the centre of attention with its latest legislative developments and possible changes.

    Online casinos to hit France in 2025?

    The French government has added an amendment to its Draft Finance Bill 2025, which could lead to the introduction of a legal and licensed online casino market as part of the French gambling regulations.

    Prime Minister Michel Barnier is on a mission to cut the country’s budget deficit to below 5% of the GDP. At the current time, it is around 6.1%.

    Another reason for this amendment is the inspiration to see its European neighbours all opening their doors to online gambling. Currently, France and Cyprus are the only ones within the European Union that have banned online casino gaming.

    It was an interesting amendment considering the failure of a scheme last year for launching the online casino market in 2030. This is after a five-year period seeing French companies gain exclusive access.

    Should the new amendment pass, it would mean that iGaming operators interested in operating within the region would face massive taxes of 55.6%. Another reason for proposing this amendment is due to the rise of the black market and the government’s plan to combat black market gaming.

    Too much, too soon

    It appears that despite the excitement, we now see the French government withdrawing its proposed amendment to the 2025 budget that would’ve seen to the legalisation of online casinos.

    The reason is that they need more time for further consultation. The good news is that they can easily be inspired and learn from the regulations and online casinos in the EU and the rest of the world, where countries have managed to find a way to balance player and shareholder safety, market growth, and tax policies.

    Budget Minister Laurent Saint-Martin's announcement states that additional discussions are required as all risks need to be addressed, which may include potential job losses and the impact it could have on land-based casinos.

    According to Saint-Martin, talks circulated that the government would submit the amendment, but this is no longer the case. It is the belief of Saint-Martin that they first need to do the work internally to ensure that no stakeholders will be harmed.

    The current gambling laws in France were enacted in 2010 and specifically restrict online casino gaming. Sports betting, horse racing, and poker are legal. The primary concern and reason for the pause is that online casinos could ultimately have a big impact on the current jobs, regional economies, and 200+ land-based casinos.

    Hence, the proposal was met with swift resistance by the Casinos de France association along with 130 mayors who were not afraid to voice their concerns in public. According to the mayors, this legislation will be like opening Pandora’s Box and could potentially decrease instead of increase tax revenue.

    With news of the government choosing to withdraw the proposal and first spend time on more research, the President of Casinos de France, Gregory Rabuel, has stated that they are relieved their concerns have been heard and they will remain vigilant to ensure the commitment made by the Budget Minister is upheld.

    While it may not happen in 2025, online casinos are part of the future and may be legally available to the French in the next couple of years.

    Minister Saint-Martin confirms this, saying that the government retains its mandate to revisit online casino regulations in the future, which will certainly help with problem gambling and the rise of the black market the country is currently facing.

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    Published: December 2, 2024

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    Deni avatar image

    Article by Deni

    CasinoWow Contributor

    Hi, I’m Deni and I am here to ensure you have all the information you need to make informed decisions about online casinos and games and, of course, have fun while doing it. I do so through in-depth research and a keen eye for detail resulting in comprehensive reviews and engaging articles. Let’s explore the iGaming world together!

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