France Introduces Bill to Regulate Online Gaming

The French Ministry of Budget, Public Accounts and Civil Service yesterday presented its published draft regulations on internet gaming to the Cabinet of Ministers for review. This is the next step in the process towards overseeing an industry that generates billions in revenue per year worldwide. Upon approval by Parliament, the laws would take effect on January 1st, 2010.

In an effort to curtail lost revenue from illegal gambling operations France Budget Minister Eric Woerth said the gaming market in France would be expanded to adapt "to Internet reality" and help France "get out of an unsustainable situation in which the state is losing a growing part of the betting market."

Woerth has estimated that illegal gambling generates €7 billion per annum and that there exists 25,000 illicit sites in France, representing 75 percent of the market.

See the draft regulations here http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/