French Online Gambling Laws Leave Betfair Out

The powers that be over at Betfair, the world's leading online betting exchange, must be pulling their hair out at the news that recent amendments to French laws that will allow foreign online gambling companies to operate in the country, will effectively exclude Betfair from doing the same.

While Betfair, and other offshore online betting exchanges, were eagerly rubbing their hands together at the prospect of finally being able to tap into the lucrative French gambling market (estimated to be worth in excess of  5 billions euros a year), government officials made a 'last-minute' amendment.

Under the terms of the amendment, online gambling companies that allow punters to lay as well as place bets were excluded from France's new online gambling laws, which is a direct blow to sports exchanges like Betfair. However, by all accounts the online gambling firm is not taking the news lying down.

For instance, Betfair's managing director, Mark Davies, described the move by the French government as 'discriminatory'. He said, 'We will consider our position. It is fairly clearly discriminatory against the biggest and most competitive online operator in Europe, and a slap in the face for the consumer.'

But although Betfair and other online betting exchanges like it are up in arms about the amendments, according to some sources the French government's actions are more to do with the protection of French online gamblers than any type of malice, and are based on a UK Gambling Commission report.