Gambling Activities in France

One of the oldest industries in France is gambling, which according to statistics, began in the 1500s. Today, gambling has evolved and is very well regulated in France so foreign investors interested in this industry have plenty of choices. France allows for the establishment of both physical and online gambling facilities. The following activities are regulated by the French legislation on gambling:

• -          betting;
• -          poker;
• -          bingo;
• -          lotto.

If you want to start a business in the gaming industry, you can rely on our company formation agents in France.

The French Gaming Law of 2010

The most important law providing for the opening of lotteries and other gaming facilities in France is the Gaming Law which was amended in 2010 in order to incorporate EU directives related to the licensing of this type of activities. The French Gambling Act also enabled a new authority which will supervise the activities of gaming operators, as well as issue the licenses for these to be able to operate: the Regulatory Authority for Online Games (ARJEL). However, there are two more entities supervising the activities of betting operators: the Pari Mutuel Hippodrome and the Pari Mutuel Urbaine. Lotteries are supervised by the Lottery Authority.

There are around 200 companies in France operating in the gambling industry, at the moment. Our company registration agents can offer more information on the French gaming legislation.

Licensing of gaming activities in France

At the beginning of 2017, ARJEL changed the types of licenses a company in France in the gaming sector can apply for. The new types of licenses are:

• -          the online sports betting license which allows for live, pool and fixed odds betting;
• -          the online horse race betting license;
• -          the online poker games license.

Gaming operators are required to pay 20,000 euros if applying for one license, 30,000 euros for two licenses and 40,000 euros for three licenses. The gambling license has a 5-year validity period and can be renewed.

A team of accountants in France can help you with the implementation of the necessary procedures to align with the requirements of the legislation. Thus, our clients, foreign and local entrepreneurs, can benefit from bookkeeping, payroll, audits, and the preparation of annual financial statements, among others. It is important to specify that we can offer risk assessment and evaluation services when necessary.

For information on the taxation of gaming activities or assistance in setting up a casino, you can contact our company registration representatives in France. You can also rely on our services if you want to open a company in any other industry in France.