France needs to radically overhaul its online gambling market, according to a new study by the association representing the country’s online operators. The Association Française de Jeu en Ligne (AFJEL) has released a study of the first five years of France’s regulated online gambling market. The study credits the market with mostly achieving its primary objectives of keeping a lid on problem gambling behavior, ensuring funding for sports federations and the integrity of sporting events. So much for the good. AFJEL spared no venom in castigating the country’s much-maligned taxation levels, which hits operators with a corporation tax of 33%,…

Poker News – An official delegation from Singapore met earlier this month with French online gambling regulator ARJEL President Charles Coppolani to analyze France’s online gambling legislation in order to see if the French policies can be adapted to Singapore’s needs. During the meeting, the delegation led by Singapore’s Second Minister for Home Affairs and Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran and Singapore’s ambassador in Paris Tan York Chor discussed with the French regulator policies implemented to regulate online gambling in France since 2010, when ARJEL was first established. According to a press release issued by the French…

Poker News – Is it doom and gloom in France? Some might say so, since regulated online poker has been steadily declining in France since new regulations began in 2010. According to the first quarter report released by France’s online gaming regulator ARJEL about the country’s online poker regulated market, the number of regulated cash game players is shrinking significantly. Cash game traffic dropped by 19 percent year over year, and perhaps even more alarming was the 28percent decline compared to two years ago. ARJEL also shared its concerns about trends in the French market by implying poker operators “are…

Poker News – According to a report by GamingIntelligence, bwin.party CEO Norbert Teufelberger and former bwin CEO Manfred Bodner have been acquitted of Internet gambling charges in France. Last month, Teufelberger and Bodner were charged with violations that dated back more than a decade when the online gambling group offered betting services to France’s citizens. The charges included violating French law by offering iGaming products and receiving bets on sporting events and horse racing, as well as advertising to French players between 2003 and 2005. Although the original complaints by French monopoly operators La Française des Jeux (FDJ) and Pari-Mutuel…

Cards Chat – Charles Coppolani, the new president of ARJEL, the French online gambling regulator, has declared that online poker in France is a “fad” that is “over”. Speaking to Les Échos in his first interview since taking up the post, Coppolani stated bluntly: “The fad is over. Basically, the online poker market may be mature.” It’s a worrying attitude from the man in control of an online poker market that desperately needs to adopt liquidity sharing with other European nations in order to thrive. France chose to regulate and ring-fence online poker and online casino gambling in 2010, closing…

Poker News – According to a new report released by France’s online gaming regulator ARJEL, the country’s online poker regulated market has continued to decline despite tournament poker showing positive results. The negative trend that France’s online poker industry began experiencing in 2011 isn’t showing signs of recovery in 2014, as the number of active accounts in the first quarter of the year is 12% smaller than 2013. The decline in numbers is estimated to cost operators a 10% of their turnover. According to ARJEL’s report, bets at cash game tables fell by 19% during the first three months of…