The European Gaming and Betting Association expresses concern over the findings of a new study on the size of the online gambling black market in France. The study, commissioned by the national gambling authority L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux, estimates that the online gambling black market in France is worth up to 1.5 billion euros a year, nearly half of France’s regulated online gambling income. This suggests that France has one of the largest online gambling black markets in the EU, and to address the problem, the EGBA calls on French authorities to stop banning online casino games.
Despite being one of Europe’s important gambling markets, France is one of only two EU countries that ban online casino games, forming a black market with all its inherent risks. According to a new study conducted by PwC, websites that offer online casino games are a major contributor to the country’s online black market, accounting for up to 50 percent of traffic on French black market websites along with slots. While there is certainly a demand for such games in France, these websites operate in violation of French law, and many of them threaten the safety of French players who do not have legal means or have minimal protection, such as self-exclusion, when using the games.
The study found that about 3 million French players use black market websites at least once a month. More worrisome, the study also established that high-risk players in the black market account for 79 percent of the GGR generated by these players, meaning vulnerable players could be exposed to unsafe, unregulated websites. 슬롯머신
To protect these players and create a safe gambling environment for all, the EGBA urges French authorities to re-evaluate existing bans on online casino games and take the necessary steps to ensure a safe and regulated environment is also guaranteed for online casino players in the country, consistent with French regulations on already established online sports betting. This regulatory framework should be based on a multi-licensing model in which multiple operators can obtain cross-business licenses, as it has long proven to be the most effective way to reduce the black market in online gambling.
“The size of the online black market in France is alarming, and we believe that France is one of the largest online gambling black markets in the European Union, along with Germany and Italy. The French ban on online casinos is clearly a big part of the problem. Given the popularity of online casinos and the need to protect consumers from black market risks, it is urgent for French authorities to reevaluate the current ban on online casino games. The ban is counterproductive and fails consumers.
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