French online gaming

France has the second largest online gaming market in Europe and since the government legalised the market it has grown even bigger with major operators applying for licences.

This year has seen huge developments for the French online gambling market. Earlier in the year the government legalised and began regulating online gambling which was a first for France. Since then the market has just been growing.

Since the legalisation of online gambling the Regulatory Authority of Online Games in France has been working hard and fast to make sure that they license the biggest international gaming companies, their latest catch and most recent to begin operating in France is Titan Poker.

The online gaming market in Europe is huge apart from the United States, Europe is considered to be the largest gaming market in the world and the French market is the second largest online gambling market in Europe. It is this which prompted the government to begin regulation as they are able to make vast sums of money in internet gaming taxes.

The World Trade Organisation had been pressuring France to change its online gambling laws. Many countries such as America and Portugal refused to bow to pressure but France decided to give in and form regulations which comply with the European Union trade agreements. As soon as they did this a multitude of foreign gaming operators quickly started applying for licenses, it was important for everyone that they have a share in one of the biggest markets in the world.

At the moment the lawmakers in the United States are also considering changing their online gambling laws. Last weekend Senator Harry Reid gave his support to legislation which would allow individual states to licence online poker operations. The proposed legislation will allow casinos and horse tracks to run the websites; however, they must have been operating for at least five years in order to qualify for a licence.

In New Jersey legislators have already given authorisation to the Atlantic City casinos to run online gaming. The casinos are allowed to accept customers from within New Jersey or from foreign countries. However, if they do begin to accept foreign customers then New Jersey may find that they are violating a number of European Union trade agreements.