France
France is a European nation that has a long history of gambling that stretches back to hundreds of years ago. Although France has a long history regarding betting, the regulation on the same has been stringent until recent times when the government came up to regulate both brick and mortar casinos alongside the virtual ones. France is among countries with large populations that provide a ready market for gambling products and services. This factor has, in turn, influenced the number of sites that operate in this region. Legally, gambling in France is allowed provided the gambler has attained the legal age and the casinos they are exposed to are standard and offer regulated games.
France is home to some land-based casinos that have been able to attract worldwide acclaims. The French brick and mortar casinos have been able to accrue large following due to numerous factors. Keeping up with trends in legislation and the needs of the gaming community as well as enlisting the help of software provider firms that are among the best in the industry is among the factors that French casinos have paid attention to remain relevant for long. When gaming in the best French online casinos, players are also exposed to a variety of games among other features.
2020 Gambling Laws in France
Gambling laws in France have undergone multiple changes to what it is today. The first form was gambling allowed by Francis I in the year 1539. In 1577, the gambling laws were changed to go back to banning the activity by Henri III. There was an intervention from several groups, but little to no change was experienced. In the 17th century, lotteries proliferated with the permissions from the government. When France experienced financial problems, it is then that the parliament allowed lotteries to start operating unreservedly. This change came about and was useful in the 18th century. The gambling age was lowered from twenty-one to eighteen in 1988. In the same year, the ban that had been placed on slots was lifted. Up to this period, online gambling was still banned, and gamers had only the brick and mortar casinos to play in.
The first steps regarding legislation of remote gambling in France came to light in 2005. What prompted this move is the investigation that was started by the European Commission regarding the French gambling market. In 2006, the agency gave France a notice and in the following year requested to revise French gambling laws to make them compliant with those of the EU. This in return prompted the French government to introduce a bill that opened the virtual gaming market partially to casino operators from other European Union countries. The French Gambling Act that was proposed and passed a law in 2010 introduced competition and regulation of gambling. The French Gaming Authority was also established as the primary body to control the betting market.
Currently, there are three other regulatory bodies in France mandated to regulate the industry. They listed in the table below.
CNIL |
The French Competition Authority |
The CSA. |
There are three types of licenses provided that casino operators must possess under the French Gambling Law, 2020. Gamers can access a variety of betting websites and games for real money without having to worry about gambling laws. Offshore, regulated French casinos are also able to avail their services to gamers in this region.
Popular Games in French Casinos
The primary link between casinos and their players is the games a site has to offer gamers. Land-based establishments in France provide a variety of games for their patrons from slots to table games. Online casinos, on the other hand, have not been left out in the quest to offer gamers numerous titles in the various game families to play. Some of the game categories for virtual gamers include:
- Slots – Online France casinos offer players an array of slot titles to play that feature numerous themes.
- Table games – Table games availed in casinos licensed by the French control agencies are among the best and feature both classic and modern variations of games.
- Live casino – When visiting French casinos, players who are after the brick and mortar casino experience can opt to play games in this category.
- Video Poker – A majority if not all French casinos have video poker variants to cater to its gamers who are interested in games that fall in this collection.
These casino games have different methods to use when playing. New gamers can seek the demo modes first before they go for real money variations.
Best Deposit and Withdrawals Methods Casino Players in France
Players who play online for real money require deposit and withdrawal options that they can use to fund their casino cashier and also withdraw money from them. With advancements in technology, it has been easy for online casinos to provide their gamers with payment systems that do not necessitate them to visit their local banking providers. Options that allow gamers anonymity are also granted to protect the identity of these players. The banking options available for gamblers who choose to play in France are among those that have been approved by the regulatory bodies and are known to be safe and secure for online transactions. The cashier systems allowed include:
- Credit/ debit cards
- Bank transfers
- Digital wallets
- Cryptocurrencies
- Vouchers, among others.
When picking a casino, players must be keen on the payment systems they permit and the currencies as well. Withdrawal and pending times for all the systems are dependent on the casino and the payment option that a player goes for. Approved France casinos enlist the services of banking institutions that have a solid reputation both in the finance world and in the gaming realm.
Live Betting and Casinos in France
Players are offered the live betting option in most regulated French casinos through the live casino category of games. Gaming sites available in this region have been able to flourish in the iGaming industry due to various reasons. Some of the factors that have served to attract players to some of the best French online casinos include:
- Bonus provision. Players need to know that they can be able to save their real money when they are playing on a site through bonuses. Gaming establishments that offer their gamers lucrative French casino bonuses are among those that have been able to amass a huge following. Most of the casinos in France have this provision, and French players cannot run out of options to pick from if their choice is dependent on promotions run by a site.
- Licensing. The level of trust accorded to an online casino is mostly drawn from the permits and laws they operate under. Over the years, virtual gamers in France and across the globe have realized that casinos that operate with valid licenses are among the best and chances that these sites will deviate from providing standard services and products are also minimized. Gaming sites that hold licenses from renowned regulatory agencies are among those that have been able to attract and retain many patrons.
- Customer support. Players who play in an online casino need the help of casino personnel when they are stuck. The availability and response time of customer service teams in online gambling establishments is a factor that influences France players to go to one site and not the other. Casinos that have responsive and professional customer support teams are among those that have been able to thrive for long.
- Security. Gamers submit sensitive information in online gaming sites that need to be protected from scam artists and fraudsters. SSL encryption technology is the standard provision that most French casinos use to safeguard their websites and databases containing gamers’ data.
Find the Best Online Casinos in France in 2020
To find the best French online casino, players have to put in the time and effort to ensure that the information they gather on a site is accurate. This is to be done before France players decide on the website they want to settle for. Some of the gaming sites that have appeared on the radar of those that are among the best include:
- Casino Superlines
- Vive Mon Casino
- Unique Casino
- Casino 777
- Betsson Casino, among others.
These gaming sites are among regulated French casinos the offer their gamers casino games they can enjoy when gaming online.
Recommended France online casinos listed in multiple reviews can be checked out by gamers for them to try and gauge if the betting services availed fit within the confine of their interests.