Ten years after its partial liberalization, the French gambling market on the Internet had experienced an extraordinary year in 2020. The year of a health crisis, despite the cancellations or suspensions of sports competitions and horse races, is ultimately the year of all online gambling activity records, according to the National Gaming Authority (ANJ), the new authority of regulation of gambling, installed in 2019.
These “historic performances”, for the three gaming segments opened to competition by the law of spring 2010 – sports betting, horse betting, and poker – are still thriving. In these years, the money flow is in billions of euros just from French casino sites.
In further text, various information about online gambling in France, the best casino sites in France, as well as general information about them will be presented.
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Quick Jump
Is Online Casino Legal in France?
Online gambling is legal in France when done at French casino sites and when playing casino games that are allowed by the state. All other forms of gambling online are generally prohibited but the French are always finding ways to gamble at foreign casino sites via VPN.
Gambling in France is governed by very strict legislation. In recent years, the legislation has tightened, especially with the development of online games which, unlike land-based gaming rooms, connect two virtual people: the player and the owner of the site. It is an approach that is understandable especially since the transactions that take place on these sites are essentially monetary. Let’s take stock of the regulations of these online casinos in France which are not necessarily French.
On the internet as in real life (terrestrial), it is possible to play casino games. To date, there are several casino games that are: Slot Machines, Caribbean Stud/3-Card Poker/Let It Ride, Roulette, Craps, Baccarat, Blackjack, Video Poker, etc. These games are available on a multitude of online gaming sites which the French can discover.
Online games in France are subject to very coercive regulation. The French legislator has established a very clear barrier that distinguishes online games which are purely random and therefore of luck, and the games which are played and won thanks to the contribution of the deductive faculties and the insight of the player. This is why the legislation is more and more relaxed in the face of online games such as sports games, backgammon, poker (duplicate poker), or horse betting, and those are even approved by the Arjel (Regulatory Authority Online Games). ARJEL publishes a list of legal online gambling operators. On the other hand, the legislative blockade has been maintained on online games such as virtual slot machines, craps, blackjack, video poker, roulette, and many other games.
French people who play casino games in France do so on foreign gaming sites in Malta, Gibraltar, or Curaçao and are therefore subject to the legislation of the countries in which these sites are registered. Their jurisdictions are more conciliatory. They are also the only ones since the other countries do not give any gifts to the French. The coercive laws of France have led some foreign casinos to prohibit their access to French customers.
The large casino groups have so far remained unsatisfied in the face of a promising French market, but strongly embattled by ARJEL. For both land-based French casinos and foreign online casino operators, this is fertile ground to they are prohibited from accessing. Many sites have to date received warnings to prohibit their access to French people living on French territory.
Generally, when this injunction has not been followed up, the case is brought before the courts which proceed to the blocking of the site by the Internet service providers. This blocking is done under penalties. To date, there is a very implacable case law that has punished casinos that have defied the bans, if only by offering access to their casino sites to the French people. Real witch hunts have taken place against foreign sites. We can cite a few cases of legal proceedings since 2010:
In view of all this, we understand why most European countries refuse access to their sites to French people. This is a very uncomfortable situation for French casino game enthusiasts who secretly wish that French national legislation would relax its diktat a little more.
The majority of online casinos offer new French players more or less attractive welcome bonuses. Sometimes, certain offers are based on relatively complex systems (credit granted during a second deposit, the release of a bonus according to the value of the first payment, etc.). Some analyses are therefore essential to define the interest of the welcome offers available before proceeding with your registration.Carrying out banking transactions or playing via an online casino sometimes evokes legitimate concerns among the French. Indeed, many miscellaneous facts concerning certain online platforms are reported each year. In 2011, three poker sites were closed by the FBI after multiple frauds and money laundering. If this information does not concern the services available in France, the selection of your online casino nevertheless deserves particular interest.
When you discover the world of online casinos in France, focused on entertainment and pleasure, you can only want to try it out. Those who have never tried online gambling will find the following information quite useful.
To satisfy a good number of players, there are two modes, the real mode, and the demo mode. This second mode allows you to become better acquainted with the casino as well as to have fun with different online games before making your first deposit. You will be able to make your mark without betting real money.
We strongly advise you to always try a casino’s demo mode. You will be able to navigate and notice if everything is going well in terms of loading the games if the collection satisfies you and we can also take the opportunity to chat with customer support to see if it meets your expectations.
It must be said that online casinos are accessible at all hours of the day or night, with many advantageous and generous bonuses, with an ultra-complete catalog of games compared to land-based casinos. These allow you to win a lot of money, thanks to their generous redistribution rate (the frequency with which a game redistributes winnings) much more than the traditional establishments that we know.
It is therefore quite normal that more and more players are tempted by this very accessible facility on the Internet. Hence, there are a large number of online casinos in France today and the registration process can confuse many of us, and more particularly new players. If playing online may seem simple, you may encounter a few minor problems when registering for the first time. It would be very damaging to give up playing at an online casino just for this reason.
Therefore, here are the three steps usually needed to register at a French online casino:
Choose an online casino among the best! You can read the reviews made available to you and then if you are interested, click on “visit the casino” to access the casino’s website.
Then you will start your registration by filling in the fields with accuracy and precision. Please provide your true information so that you can validate your account and receive your earnings in the future. Rest assured, all data is protected. Don’t forget to tick the box “I have read the terms of use” and click on register.
Once the registration has been validated, you will receive an email to open, in order to confirm your registration, by activating your account by clicking on the link in the email received. During each connection to the chosen online casino in France, all you have to do is use your identifiers.
Thanks to the Internet and IT technologies, anyone old enough to do so can register on a virtual gaming site and play whatever games they feel like. In further text, you will discover the casino games most appreciated by the French, as well as the different bonus modes to access them.
Many, if not all, online casino sites in France will provide various bonuses and promotions to both new and existing players. These are always great to claim as they provide more gambling and in most cases for free. Players in France can use them to earn real money while investing little or nothing at all. But it’s not that simple.
Before claiming any bonus, you must understand that each offer has some terms and conditions you must abide by. After all, no matter how good they are, the online casinos in France won’t simply provide free funds that you can use whomever you please.
So, after deciding that a particular bonus interests you, you must carefully analyze all the available information. Usually, you can find everything you need in the official casino’s bonus section. But the conditions of most offers are pretty much identical, so let’s separate them into types.
A bonus offered to new players when they first sign up for an account with a casino. It can come in the form of a deposit match or free spins.
A bonus offered to new players without the need to make a deposit. It can come in the form of free spins or bonus money.
A bonus that awards a certain number of free spins on a specific slot game or a selection of games.
A bonus that refunds a percentage of a player's losses over a certain period of time.
What Is the Best Payment Option for French Players?
When gambling at casino sites in France, it is most common to use credit cards due to ease of use and good limits. On the other hand, those who wish to try their luck outside of France should definitely go for eWallets as they offer complete anonymity and safety. Cryptocurrencies are also great as well, although many don’t want to gamble with them as their value is skyrocketing.
There is a multitude of payment options in France for online casinos. In these, four major categories emerge.
Many French players do not trust online casinos because their payment options are too difficult to understand when you don’t know much about them. Therefore, bank transfers are the most famous casino payment methods in the country due to their simplicity and no intermediaries. But new online payment methods offer much more. The following are the most common ones in France.
Gambling is legal in France, although with certain limitations. As the laws and regulations are prone to changes, it is recommended to find out the latest laws regarding gambling before the option to gamble online.
Legal and licensed casinos are incredibly safe. All casino sites approved by the state are safe, even foreign ones that have licenses and certifications.
Sports betting is legal in France and therefore safe when done at proper casinos or betting sites.
French gamblers don’t have specific deposit limits required by the state. There is a campaign regarding Safe Gambling where players can set their own limits. If not, the limits will depend only on the casino site and banking options.
Gambling is taxable and should be reported always. All earnings above 1500 Euros are taxable.
This will depend solely on the casino and banking option of choice. Some casinos offer instant payouts, some need at least 24 hours. The fastest banking options are eWallets, which are usually instant, while credit cards are close behind in speed.
While there are some great casinos in France, it is impossible to select one as the best. Instead, what players should go for are reliability and a great selection of games, banking options, and high payouts.
Many games of luck are illegal in France and only those of skill (such as sports betting, card games, etc.) are legal. Therefore, those are most commonly found at French casino sites. Luckily, if players can register at foreign casino sites, the selection will be limitless.
Due to high accessibility, poker is arguably the most popular game in France. Since roulette was invented in France, it comes close behind.
Some casino sites in France will offer free spins as part of bonuses and promotions, although these are not that common.
Some casinos will require the first deposit. Others will require special codes. But the best ones are claimed for free immediately upon registration.
The FDJ website has made an Internet page available to users who have questions. It is also possible to contact Joueurs info service on 09 74 75 13 13. Available 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., this number (cost of a non-surcharged local call) allows you to be put in touch with professionals trained in the difficulties encountered by the practice of excessive gambling. Do not hesitate to call whether you are concerned directly or indirectly.
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