French Market to be worth 1.7 Billion Euros by 2015

French Market to be worth 1.7 Billion Euros by 2015

A new report from consulting firm MECN and law specialist Ulys is predicting that gross revenues from a liberalised French online betting and poker markets could grow to €1.7 billion by 2015.

The report will have many operators excited about the prospects of boosting their business once the French online gambling market is opened up sometime next year with MECN revealing that this optimism seems to be justified.

The consulting firm stated that one of the key aspects of the planned French liberalisation, which it revealed would probably take effect next summer, will be the opening of the interactive and online sports and horserace betting markets as well as online poker.

It announced that, although recently introduced draft regulations will likely be adapted, the strategies of most operators ‘clearly target’ France. It quoted one representative of an online gambling firm as stating ‘We will enter the French market as soon as possible; no matter what it takes’.

According to MECN's new research, around 80 percent of gambling operators and experts that it surveyed consider the French market ‘relevant or even very relevant’ for their future business.

The full report is available at France-Gambling.MECN.net and reveals that more than two-thirds of the operators surveyed want to obtain an online poker license for the French market.

“The operators will focus on online poker and sportsbetting because they expect the French market to outstrip even the success story of the Italian online poker and betting market,” read a statement from MECN.

“Despite the many unresolved issues of the upcoming liberalisation, 77 percent of the operators surveyed in MECN's study are looking to obtain a French online poker license. On the other hand, horserace betting monopolist PMU may be able to breathe a sigh of relief because horserace betting licenses are not nearly as popular.”

Source: iGaming Business October 2009