The three online casinos – Tranchant, Barrière and Joagroupe, which run a total of 104 casinos, say their online rivals have flouted the law by setting up French language sites to tout for custom in France without waiting for parliamentary approval. They told Paris Criminal Court that the online groups had ''violated French legislation in a deliberate and patent manner''.
The French casino owners want the foreign online casino sites to be imposed a penalty on any future licensing attempt once France opens its gaming market for actions committed while the market is still closed. However, if the lawsuit is upheld by judges, the four Internet firms would find themselves at a notable disadvantage in a market thought to be worth hundreds of millions of euros a year.
The case, which is likely to end Wednesday, comes two weeks before the French Senate is expected to back a bill authorizing private online gamblers to apply for licences. The legislation has already been approved by the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, and is likely to come into force in time for the French to bet on the World Cup.
However, there are about 100 operators will apply for a licence, according to French government estimates, but only about half will receive one. They will have the right to take bets on sports betting and casino games such as auto racing, basketball and poker, but not on activities such as one-arm bandits considered by French officials to be dangerously addictive.
From this time on, the new operators will face high tax rates which critics say are intended to favour the two state-run firms which control the French market at present — Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU), the bookmakers, and Française des Jeux (FdJ), the national lottery. An estimated 3,000,000 French people already betting online with online casino sites operating outside France.
Source: http://www.onlinecasinoadvisory.com/casino-news/online/french-casinos-sue-foreign-online-gambling-operators-43594.htm
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