Senadores franceses apoiam aumento de impostos para o setor de jogos de azar
Senadores franceses apoiam aumento de impostos para o setor de jogos de azar. (Imagem: Senado da França - Freepik)

France‘s casino sector was disappointed this weekend as senators approved new tax increases for the gaming industry.

French senators supported “behavioral tax increases” which include soft drinks, tobacco and gambling.

Tax increase in the gaming sector in France

Having previously been rejected by deputies, senators approved the measures in accordance with the GGR (Global Gaming Revenue):

French casinos and online operators currently pay taxes on GGR of around 55%. But with the new measures, taxes would rise to close to 60%. The reforms are part of the government’s plan to raise 500 million euros to increase the social security budget and deal with the national debt.

A tax increase on all types of gambling was proposed in October by Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s 2025 Budget. The objective is to raise 500 million euros from French operators.

At the opening of the annual conference of the country’s igaming trade body, AFJEL (French Association of Online Games), Nicolas Béraud, CEO of Betclic and president of AFJEL, said that higher taxes will make it even harder for operators to generate profits. Therefore, there is a risk that many sports federations, leagues and grassroots organizations will make a loss.

The government was “at best downplaying and at worst ignoring” their concerns, he said. Béraud added that regulations were hurting the industry when it came to ensuring maximum protection for players.

Sector says the problem lies with illegal websites

He also warned that French players can find an online casino site on Google in minutes and “play without even realizing that it is an illegal site”.

Nicolas Béraud also highlighted that, with an estimated four million players already active and revenues of 2 billion euros, the illegal market in France already has “the size of a mature market”.

“We honestly don’t know if problem gambling rates have gotten worse in recent years. However, it is necessary to bring the four million players who access illegal websites into a legal environment. There is no one better than online operators to monitor activity and detect problem gamblers,” added Béraud.