Gambling in France
Gambling in France: Back to the Past
In the early 1500s, the Queen of France was first introduced to a deck of playing cards. This French version was a precursor to the deck of 52 cards we still enjoy today. And it was these cards which allowed for all the common card games which we all know and love today. A good example would be blackjack. Back then it was known as”Vingt et un” or “twenty one” and it was even played by the French Templar Knights, along with the game of Faro.
These games then cross La Manche and became very popular in England. Over time, and along with Europeans emigrating to the US, card games spread across the country as well. Of course, with the French holding so much of the US as it’s own, then it’s of little surprise to find card games becoming universally popular.
The State Lottery
Then in the 17th Century, the idea and eventual rise of a State lottery took form. Around 100 years later and we can see the invention of roulette, one of the most popular casino games of all time. It was only in 1842, that the Blanc brothers introduced the zero on the roulette wheel, thus giving the house a proper edge. Also, games such as Chemin de Fer and poker were developed in France before making their way over the world.
It must be said that over the long history of gambling, France has been extremely democratic towards the games and their gamblers. A good example would be when slots started to gain in popularity, the French government were quick to legalize them. Then in 1997, the French government actually lowered the age limit for gambling from 21 to 18 years of age.
Gambling in France: Legal Environment
One thing we must point out is that though France has historically been a friend to casino gamblers, it’s a very different story in their attitude towards those that wish to gamble online. As for bricks and mortar casinos and bingo halls, there are around 200 of the former and 16 of the latter dotted around the country. You’ll also find many casino guides which can fill you in on all the relevant details such as opening hours, table limits, and location.
Play Casino Games Online at King Billy
Gambling in France: Live Gambling
As with most European countries, all forms of gambling are regulated and need to be licenced by the government. Land-based casinos can only be built and operated in certain areas of a town or city. The Ministry of the Interior oversees all gambling activity whether horse racing, sportsbooks, casinos, and lotteries. Interestingly enough there is one form of betting that is illegal, and that’s betting on fantasy sports.
You Need To Be 18
As well as having ministerial oversight, which serves as the main branch of regulation, there are smaller entities tasked with enforcing their own legal requirements. These include legal sports betting and lotteries. They defer to Francaise de Jeux, while horse racing is covered by Le Pari Mutuel Urbain. All illegal activities are monitored and prosecuted by special police forces named Sous Direction des Courses et des Jeux.
If you’re over 18 years of age, then you can play and bet on anything in France. Learn about the gambling rules in Monaco!
Gambling in France: Online Gambling
For the longest time, online gambling was highly controlled and restricted by the French government. Then in 2001 PMU and FDJ acquired licenses to be able to operate online. But online casinos were still banned as were video poker, slots, or any games that involved real money. Monopoly, we hear you say? Well, it wasn’t long before the EU stepped in and demanded that France open up the industry to other industry European players. So in 2009, the government made a few tiny concessions by opening the market to around 2,500 web sites. But their only activity could be either horse racing or sports betting. This again caused an uproar, and once again, slowly, the French government adopted the gambling Act 2010.
French Gambling Commission
From this piece of legislation, all poker and bingo became legal. But still, real money casinos were illegal. This also included slots, roulette, and blackjack. France does have its own gaming commission, the Regulatory Authority for Online Gambling. But the industry remains highly taxed and it very hard indeed for smaller websites to succeed in France. There was a period of extreme frustration as foreign casino operators were banned and yet French players were being blocked. Then to compound the matter, the government made sure that the tax on bets and winnings was so expensive that it essentially saw the death of the industry.
If you’re gambling in France, you can get around this by using a VPN to change your account IP address to one outside of France or by using an account in the UK. Online gambling and gambling at the casino are one thing, but all social gambling is allowed. So there’s absolutely no regulation when it comes to playing games at home or as a pastime.
Present and Future
The whole gambling industry is worth around $35 billion in annual turnover to the French. And it just keeps growing. In fact with the average age of the population at just 42, there’s plenty of room for growth. Soccer is the national sport in France and when the country was host to the World Cup in 2010, the online betting industry managed to score around 83 billion Euros. The same goes for other major sporting events, in particular with the annual Tour de France. In spite of these famous sports, horse racing enjoys the lion’s share of online sports betting. The pari-mutual system is very popular throughout France There are around 8,000 PMU kiosks and bars at which over 80% of all bets.
Worried About Problem Gamblers
The problem that French online gamblers are experiencing is the ridiculously high tax regime coupled with rubbish legislation. In fact, it’s estimated that around 47% of all French gamblers prefer using unlicensed web sites. Yet in spite of this alarming figure, the French government sees no reason to release its iron-like grip on the gambling industry. With the monies that horse racing provides, there appears to be little incentive to encompass games like online jackpot sites and online poker.
The official reason for maintaining a thorough grip on the gambling industry is that they are fearful that loosening the rules and regulations will lead to an increase in gambling addiction. Presently over 45% of French people admit t having a flutter once in a while. Of those, 1.3% say they have a gambling problem. At face value, these latter numbers do appear to be unrealistically small.
