U.K. Pulling Out of Online Gambling in France

In gambling, timing is everything and as far as the new laws in France governing online gambling go timing is also important. The online gambling laws, which now limit the number of foreign-based online gaming sites that can operate in France and which require any foreign operators to obtain a license from the country, went into effect just prior to the start of one of the biggest online gambling events on the globe—The World Cup.

Laws Prohibitive

Betfair has found the new gambling laws to be anything but fair and has claimed that they are protectionist and don’t allow for competition amongst online gambling sites. A review of the French regulations is scheduled for January 2011 and that may or may not open up the market for foreign competitors.

William Hill

A spokesperson for William Hill said, “In conjunction with the changes to the regulatory regime in France, William Hill Online is considering whether to apply for a licence to offer permitted online gambling products to French residents.”  William Hill is Great Britain’s second-biggest bookmaker.

Developing Story

Like so many other stories related to online gambling and its regulation, expect this to continue for months to come. Look for more foreign-based online gambling businesses to close their doors players in France.