France will legalize online poker.. under conditions

Published on Monday, October 19, 2009 2:46:46 PM

The French parliament approved the text legalize to regulate online gambling, including poker. The new law should be applied early in the year and up to 100 opperators can apply for a license.

Another amendment stipulates that only operators with no branches or other activities in tax havens (like Gibraltar) can apply for a license.

These two points will make it difficult to market entries for companies such as Party Poker or bwin who have been strongly criticized in the gambling industry.

Eric Woerth, budget minister responsible for this Act considers that approximately 50 sites will receive a license.

With this new system, the online poker companies will be taxed at 2%.