Legality in the EU : The French Case
(November 25, 2005)
The legal situation regarding online gambling in the United States seems to be mired in a state of permanent ‘gray area’. Laws, past and present, at the Federal, State, and local levels combined with a complete lack of enforcement at times makes it difficult to determine for sure when and where activity is legal or not. Since Americans make up the vast majority of online gamblers though, it appears likely that eventually the situation will become clearer. Of course, as with anything where the American government is concerned, changes occur slowly.
On the other side of the Atlantic, however, changes are occurring far more rapidly. With laws already clearer for the most part than in the US (in several countries such as the UK and the Netherlands online gambling is 100% legal - depending on certain conditions, as always - and stated as such) countries in the EU are adapting faster to the activity’s popularity amongst their citizens.
France in particular has proposed changes which will make it easier for its citizens to enjoy visiting online casinos and poker rooms. Recent debates in parliament have explored the issue and the French online casino business has been up and running for several years. By some estimates, French gamblers are even said to gamble twice as often and three times as long as their British counterparts.
Unfortunately, brick and mortar casino operation in France (like other industries - gotta love the French) is a highly restrictive enterprise. If you want to play casino games in France, you’re forced to deal with state-owned operations and in most areas, it’s forbidden to operate land-based casinos and machines. However, thanks to inconsistencies in EU policy, French players have been able to play online without a problem.
French citizens and gamblers online have also benefited a great deal from the large increase in high-speed internet availability in the country. Some experts believe that, in fact, the online casino has been the main impetus for the increased demand of high-speed internet access. The doesn’t necessarily indicate a causal relationship, however, since some countries such as Spain - with low rates of online gambling yet high levels of high-speed internet access - don’t fit such a model.
One thing is for sure though: the EU and countries within it are taking steps much more quickly than the United States to make the legality of online gambling a clearer concept. One by one, countries are progressively opening their doors to the industry in one way or another. With the popularity of the activity seemingly infinite, perhaps such changes are inevitable. Nonetheless, for the time being it seems the EU is doing a better job than the US of recognizing the popularity of online gambling amongst its citizens and making the necessary adjustments in the laws for better access and regulation.
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