While the French National Assembly voted yesterday to make far-reaching reforms in its online gambling market, not everybody is happy with the changes. The Remote Gambling Association, as well as the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), all expressed their regret that the bill would not allow private online gambling operators to compete in the market. They said that the reform legislation and new tax regime would be “wholly unattractive and in most cases completely unviable”.

“In its current form, the planned French legislation will simply not be viable for the vast majority of private sector operators and France will miss out on the opportunity to share in the growth and associated benefits of having its own thriving, regulated online gambling industry,” said Remote Gambling Association Chief Executive, Clive Hawkswood. “It also runs the risk of further challenges at EU level because the level of restrictions is such that they could be considered unacceptable barriers to market entry.”