At the moment, France allows online betting, but not online casino gaming. Along with Cyprus, it is the only member state of the European Union (EU) that currently does not allow this modality.
This change is part of the 2025 budget project in France. Thus, the government probably hopes that legalizing online casino gaming can help the country’s finances through tax collection.
France foresees taxation of 55.6% of online casino revenue
The proposal is that online casino games be taxed on 55.6% of their revenue.
In addition to generating tax revenue, the French government argued that the measure would also help deal with illegal gambling, which is largely responsible for creating problematic betting habits. Consequently, this would help reduce the public health problem caused by illegal gambling.
In December, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) called on France to regulate online casinos, citing a study that concluded that gross revenue from the irregular gaming market could represent up to €1.5 billion per year.
However, not everyone is in favor of the measure, with physical casinos emphasizing their opposition to it, due to the impact it could have on revenue and jobs in the sector.
The president of Casinos de France Union, Grégory Rabuel, said: “According to our calculations, the opening of online casinos will lead to a drop in gross revenue from physical establishments.”
“The loss will be approximately 20 to 30%. Regarding closure, we estimate that around 30% of establishments will no longer be able to operate”, he added.
On the topic of online casinos, the president of the National Gaming Authority (ANJ), Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, appeared on Huddle, addressing the regulatory proposal.
