France halts online casino plans and commits to consultation

France has halted its plans to regulate online casinos and will instead engage in further consultations with stakeholders.

The decision comes just days after the government announced intentions to establish a regulated online casino market as part of its 2025 budget.

Budget minister Laurent Saint-Martin (pictured) announced the government’s decision on Sunday (27 October), emphasising the necessity for more discussions to evaluate the potential risks, including job losses and the effects on existing land-based casinos.

He highlighted the importance of dialogue to ensure that any changes do not adversely affect stakeholders, particularly those involved with traditional casinos.

France’s current gambling laws, which were established in 2010, limit online gambling to sports betting, horse racing, and poker, with online casinos still prohibited.

The initial proposal included a tax structure that would impose a 27.8% GGR tax, resulting in an overall effective tax rate of 55.6% on online casino earnings. 

Immediate backlash

However, the plan faced immediate backlash from various stakeholders, including the Casinos de France association.

The organisation warned that online casino regulation would have “catastrophic” consequences, including a GGR decline for land-based casinos and the loss of approximately 15,000 jobs. 

While the amendment has been shelved for now, the government remains open to revisiting online casino regulations after conducting thorough consultations with industry stakeholders. 

The rise of the illegal online casino market has been a factor in the government’s considerations, with a study by the National Gambling Authority (ANJ) indicating that illegal operators in France generated between €748m and €1.5bn in GGR in 2023, representing 5% to 11% of the overall French gambling market.

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