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Thank you for visiting our guide to sports betting in France. Our team has researched dozens of websites to come up with our top list of the best French betting sites. Here, you’ll find both our recommendations and all of the information that will enable you to start online sports wagering in France.
We have many factors in mind when we rank and appraise French bookmakers. Although no two websites are the same, a website must be great in some areas that will earn it a place on our list. This is a brief analysis of some of the core issues considered during our recommendations.
To make sure that you are betting on sporting events legally, it is crucial to choose only those websites which are legal and regulated by ARJEL. If one desires an honest and secure experience in regard to betting on sports, they should stick with the controlled sites alone. This is the reason we recommend going for those with a license from ARJEL.
All bookmakers have different odds for various sporting events all over the world. But, some of them consistently offer better terms to gamblers than others do. We ensure you get the best payouts for number sport types from our leading sites.
All the betting sites provide customer support in their operations, but not all of them do it in French. Our recommended sports betting sites have live chat, phone support and/or email support available in French. This implies that you can always receive help in a language you prefer.
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.
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.
When i try the sport betting in France, you will realize that gambling companies have odds for a lot of games because it is international. However, some games are very popular in this country and they attract special focus when it comes to betting.
Some of these commonly played games and competitions in French betting sites are briefly described in this article.
France is the most populous country in Europe and its gambling sites reflect this. You can find different soccer dealings to place bets on from all over the world throughout the year. In addition to Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, one can also bet on all other top European leagues such as English premiership, La Liga of Spain, Bundesliga and Champions league. Similarly, many bookmakers run markets for minor domestic leagues globally.
Also, international soccer is a good bet. Betting on football is what most players do in France among other popular games such as European Championships and the World Cup.
France has a long history of horse racing and ranks top among European countries in conducting some of the most prestigious races. The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, commonly referred to as the Arc, is one of the most significant. It takes place annually at the Longchamp Racecourse in Paris and usually happens in October.
In France, several gambling sites provide odds on the major races and other races that are conducted in various parts of Europe and America. Horse racing is sometimes separated from sports betting but our recommended bookmakers offer both.
The Tour de France is the most famous cycling competition in the world and can be located in France. It is an annual race that lasts for 23 days each July and it brings together best cyclists and teams from around the globe. It’s also the most famous race for fans and viewers’ favorite, furthermore, it has become more and more popular among gamblers too.
The majority of our suggested betting sites will let you bet on Tour de France. You can also place your bets on any other big cycling event such as Grand Tours in France and Spain, hence providing you an opportunity to bet for the entire cycling season.
It must be noted that the above is only a tip of the iceberg in relation to number of sports events which can be found on French betting websites. Most bookmakers that we endorse also have other top choices.
For example, our highest-ranking bookmakers allow players to bet on major rugby union tournaments such as the Six Nations, the French Top 14 and the Rugby World Cup. You can also choose to wager your money on any tennis events from French Open, all the way down to small ones in other countries even. The fans of motorsports are able to make their bets on different F1 races like Monaco Grand Prix or famous Le Mans 24-hour race.
Other than the aforementioned French occasions, betting sites have leagues and competitions from across the globe. Popular American sports leagues that include the national football league (NFL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) as well as handball, cricket, darts and different eSports.
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.
