The problem of legalizing online gambling market in France may soon be solved, as this question is under consideration in the French government.
What is going on now is that the gambling market has been monopolized by the French lottery Francaise des Jeux and PMU (pari-mutuel horse betting monopoly). They offer online betting and scratchcards. Other internet games involving money are illegal. As a result, some heads of foreign online gambling operators have been arrested in France for violating French gambling laws.
The November report into how the online gambling market might be opened up in France is being studied by Prime Minister Francois Fillon’s office. The regulation of the gambling market in France may come as a result of “issuing licenses limiting online betting to sporting events, including betting on card games, or licensing all games except lotteries”.
It must be noted that France has already received a warning from the European Commission saying that “the restrictions of the sports betting market are not compatible with existing EU law and that the measures…to restrict the free movement of sports betting services have not been shown to be necessary, proportionate and non-discriminatory”.
