The Story of Gambling in France: From World War II to Online Betting
Xenia Luch
12 November 2024
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The 20th century marked a revival for France’s gambling industry. Decades of restrictive laws had slowed the sector down, and the number of casinos kept shrinking year after year. To revitalize the industry, the government was betting (pun intended) on relaxed regulations around gambling. By doing this, they hoped to generate extra revenue through taxation.
New Regulations of Gambling and Post-War Casino Expansion
In 1942, right in the middle of World War II, the French government passed a law allowing casinos to open in resort towns. To legally operate, a casino first had to get approval from the local authorities and then the Ministry of the Interior.
This system still exists today. The license for running a gambling operation is personally signed off by the Minister of the Interior.
Along with this, a clear process for obtaining permits and a detailed set of requirements were put in place for casinos. The Ministry checked everything — from the types of games offered to the staff and even the casino’s distance from major cities. Strict rules were laid out for employees, requiring uniforms without pockets. Only table games and card games were allowed.
Military personnel were strictly prohibited from entering these casinos. The government feared gambling could affect national defense efforts.
For the same reason, casinos were banned in Paris and any city with a population of over a million.

Skirting the Restrictions
The regulations established in 1942 continued to be in effect even after World War II ended. Paris remained off-limits for gambling. However, Parisians quickly figured out how to get around these restrictions. Private clubs started popping up.

Similar clubs started popping up in other major cities like Lyon and Nice. Legally, they didn’t violate gambling laws because, technically, they weren’t classified as gambling establishments.
Casino Legalization in France
By the late 20th century, France experienced major changes in its gambling laws.
Year | Key Event |
1987 | Lowered gambling age from 21 to 18 |
Lifted the ban on slot machines in casinos | |
1988 | Allowed casinos in cities with 500,000+ people |
Before opening, a new casino had to pass a review by a local advisory committee. This group would consider the competition in the area and potential economic benefits. If the committee approved, the application would move on to the Ministry of the Interior for final approval.
Under the 1988 rules, casinos had to invest in the local culture, with 40% of their revenue required to fund events like opera or theater performances.
Two main bodies were created to regulate the gambling industry: Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU), which focuses on horse racing, and Française des Jeux (FDJ), which handles casinos, lotteries, and sports betting.
The tax rate for casinos was capped at 15%, though the exact percentage could be determined by local authorities.
Fast forward to today, and France now boasts over 200 land-based casinos, with around 90% located in mainland France. Most are clustered along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts.
Since the initial 1987 legalization, the number of slot machines alone has surged to over 25,000.

Online Betting Legalization in France
For a long time, online betting was completely banned in France. The first steps toward legalizing it came in 2007. The European Commission recommended that the French government adjust their gambling laws to comply with EU regulations.
Two years later, local authorities introduced a bill that partially opened the market to European operators, but it wasn’t exactly welcomed with open arms:
- It restricted the types of games that could be offered online.
- The taxes were high compared to other EU countries.
- The RTP (return to player) percentage was lower than in neighboring markets.
- Servers had to be in France.
The bill did eventually pass after revisions, and the law officially went into effect on May 12, 2010.
To manage the online gambling boom, France initially set up the Regulatory Authority for Online Games (ARJEL) to issue licenses in 3 areas:
- sports betting
- online poker
- horse racing betting
However, the landscape has since shifted significantly. In 2020, the National Gambling Authority (ANJ) replaced ARJEL, centralizing oversight for both online and land-based gambling under one authority.

Now, ANJ oversees:
- 17 operators licensed to offer online gambling.
- All casino-style games provided by La Française des Jeux and the PMU, available both online and at physical locations.
- All 228 racecourses across France.
- All 202 land-based casinos (except anti-money laundering and the integrity of the video games supplied).
While ARJEL once regulated only a small portion of France’s gambling industry, ANJ now oversees nearly 80% of all gambling nationwide, generating estimated annual revenues exceeding €50 billion.
One thing the law didn’t touch? Online casinos. The French government continues to ban bets on what they call “games of chance,” which include roulette, blackjack, and online slots.
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