Online Betting in France – Legal but Heavily Regulated
France expanded its legal framework for online and remote gambling through a 2009 law, in the run-up to the May 2010 FIFA World Cup. This act also allowed operators from all over the European Union (EU) to offer their services including online sports betting, online poker and virtual horse pools. France had previously only permitted French-owned betting sites of this type.
ARJEL was the main online gambling regulatory body in France at that time.
When you play on a site that is licensed, there are so many advantages to it. This means that you will be protected from fraudsters who could close down their sites without paying your winnings and other money. However, if you bet on regulated and licensed gambling platforms, ANJ will always come in handy whenever a challenge or disagreement arises.
Depositing at French Betting Sites
Among the methods that our recommended sites mostly or all of them have at least, the most popular choices include those listed on a site-by-site basis. Thus, in France wagering operators can help you make deposits to your accounts.
Most betting sites accept traditional banking options. For instance, you can usually transfer money from your bank account directly to a betting site. This can be done instantly and securely using a credit or debit card just like online shopping.
Possibly, you are no stranger to PayPal-a means of sending money that is globally recognized. Nonetheless, it is not common for gamblers to use the online service for unlicensed gambling. Nevertheless, as a deposit method at many authorized betting sites, it can be used.
The use of prepaid options is very common among people who either do not have access to regular bank accounts or are unwilling to disclose their financial details.
Paysafecard is one of these methods that people use most frequently and it is a card which may be acquired at retailers in France or on the Internet. The company’s French website has more information about how to purchase and spend Paysafecard.
French Gambling History and Laws
French gambling history started at least sixteenth century. French had its influence on poker by including queens for the first time in 1500s. In the seventeenth century, mathematician Blaise Pascal of France invented the roulette wheel.
In 1836, the French government prohibited all forms of gambling excluding horse racing; however, this did not prevent many underground dens from cropping up. It was in 1842 that brothers Louis and Francois Blanc added a zero to Pascal’s invention so that roulette wheel became a standard feature at casinos globally. In 1867, the French invented pari-mutuel betting, which is still the primary way horse racing is bet around the world today.
Sports betting was seen as a threat to the horse racing industry, as it became fashionable in the late 19th century. In particular, French parliament banned all fixed-odds betting in 1891, but established Pari Mutuel Hippodrome (PMH), which could conduct legal horse racing pools.
For decades, PMU and FDJ were monopolies, using the bulk of their earnings to finance different sports such as soccer teams. In 1983, it became legal to gamble on pool-betting greyhounds. It was in 1987 that the minimum age for legal gambling changed from 21 years to 18 years. Betting on Basque pelota was made legal in 1997.
In 2001, online gaming was legalized in France by FDJ and PMU who were granted permission to offer the service on the internet. The first legal online gambling sites in the country appeared as a result of this development. This duopoly however ended in 2010 when other European Union firms were allowed into the French market. In order to oversee activities of internet betting companies and grant licenses for authorized wagering platforms, France’s Regulatory Authority for Online Games (ARJEL) was set up.
l’Autorite nationale des Jeux (ANJ) was established in 2020 to replace ARJEL as the body overseeing all forms of gambling in France. Currently, ANJ has a list of twenty-seven legitimate online sportsbooks operating within France, with fourteen authorized operators. These operators cover not only bookmakers but also websites containing horse racing and card games. However, due to existing regulations, no regulated French gambling sites offer such traditional casino games.