France opens consultation on proposed online casino regulation – Gaming Intelligence

The French government has launched a new consultation with industry stakeholders on the proposed legalisation of online casino gaming.

Minister of the Budget and Public Accounts Laurent Saint-Martin said Wednesday that further technical meetings are required before the vertical can be legalised, following initial discussions with industry representatives and politicians.

Those initial meetings saw the government speak to over 50 representatives from the land-based and online gambling sectors, public health and addiction prevention stakeholders, elected representatives’ associations, and several politicians.

The technical meetings will be led by the central government and the French gambling regulator, the ANJ, and will be open for a three month period.

These meetings will be the subject of an initial restitution to industry stakeholders during the first quarter of 2025.

The consultation will focus on three working groups aimed at responding to issues raised by industry stakeholders.

Firstly, on the subject of addiction and public health, specific work will be done to profile players and understand the risks associated with problem gambling linked to online casino.

The second subject will look at how best to protect the public from crimes such as money laundering, trafficking and identity theft.

Lastly, the working groups will look at the economic impacts of the sector on land-based venues and consider particular issues linked to employment and tourist attractiveness.

“I thank all the stakeholders for responding to my invitation and for the quality of the discussions,” said Minister Saint-Martin. “With the associated ministries, we share the observation and the need to have a real consultation with a clear work schedule.

“This method is that of collective intelligence, and I am convinced that this time of discussions will allow us to lay serene foundations that will suit everyone.”