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Which are the 5 leading gambling sites in France and where to bet safely?
Get to know what the best betting sites in France are and why they attract players to sign up with them by consulting the table provided below. Keep on reading, for more info on the online gambling arena in the country and the available betting products at the disposal of French players.
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18+ T&C apply | 18+ | begambleaware.org | gamstop.co.uk | Play Responsibly | This promotion is not available to UK customers. For UK offers please click the button above.
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18+ T&C apply | begambleaware.org | gamstop.co.uk | Play Responsibly
- Population: UN statistics state that France is the 22nd most populous country in the world, with a population of up to 65.5 million people and counting.
- Active Players: Out of the total population of France being 65.5 million, a total of 2.2 million people are said to be engaged in online gambling platforms found in the country. This figure was given by the French gambling regulations entity ARJEL, which is according to the 2019 first quarter census.
- Currency: Although France’s original currency is the Franc (New Franc in 1961), today, they use the EUR, which is the standard currency of all European countries in the European Union. This change was brought about in 1996 when France officially joined the EEC. That said, the main currency used in most gambling sites in France is also the EUR.
- Regulated Gambling Products: According to the 2010 gambling law, the online gambling products that require licenses include poker, horse racing betting, sports betting, and overall betting. However, other casino games are banned.
- Operator Types: ARJEL has authority above all the online operators in France. The majority of the players in the French gambling market are online sportsbook platforms since casinos are banned. So the operators in the country are online sports betting platforms, horse betting, and poker platforms.
- Designated Authority: As mentioned above, the French gambling regulatory entity is ARJEL. This stands for Autorite de Regulation des Jeux en Ligne, which is French for Regulatory Authority for Online Games). This body was founded when Article 34 came out in 2010, wherein the details of the gambling law became more stringent.
- Status: Currently, France allows gambling only for certain operators. Sports betting, horse race betting, and poker are legal. For the longest time, they were only allowed if they are state-owned betting entities. For horse racing platforms, they had to be under the Pari Mutuel Urbain. Lotteries and sports betting had to be under the Francaise des Jeux. By 2010, though, the gambling market finally opened, and even international gambling bodies could apply for a French license. As mentioned above, casino games are still prohibited.
Top Foreign Bookmakers in France
Here you can read more about the top 3 foreign bookmakers that accept registrations from France.
Bwin
Being one of the biggest bookmakers worldwide, they’re one of the pioneer bookmakers that came about during the late ‘90s. They are known to have a wide range of available betting events (up to 30,000 per day) and high odds for the taking. In fact, what most punters will love about Bwin is that the operator has more than 90 sports markets to choose from. Some of the advantages that they have over other betting markets include a high-def live streaming option, high odds, and cash out as an option. However, they can still improve more on the attractiveness of their bonuses.
Vbet
While Vbet isn’t exactly a pioneer bookmaker, it is one of the fastest-growing ones that accept French players. They are based in Armenia and Malta under its parent company BetConstruct. While the bookmaker is known for its mobile platform, Vbet has also developed highly optimized and top-grade mobile apps. As mobile betting is prevalent in France, the brand has found a good target market in the French people. The great thing about this platform is that it allows massive winnings, has live streaming, has over 30,000 events per day, and offers a wide array of markets.
Important Things to Know about Betting Sites in France
Now that we’ve gone over some of the critical facts of the betting population and some of the top betting websites, let’s check out the betting environment in this section to understand what players think.
- Betting Environment
When talking about the betting environment, we will state some essential things about the target market. We will do this through these several aspects. - Competition
While the three most popular bookmakers that we’ve mentioned above (Bwin, Vbet) are the leading players in the industry, some of the competitors include Unibet and Betway. These two come close to the three giants in the French market. - Operators
As we already stated above, the operators that are legal in France are the online operators that support sports betting, general betting, horse races, and greyhound race betting, as well as poker games. Casinos are illegal in France. - Active Players
Out of the total French population of 65.5 million individuals, a total of 2.2 million people are actively engaged in sports betting or poker in various online gambling platforms. - Key Info for Players in France
While football is still one of the most popular sports in the whole of Europe, French punters seem to have more diverse tastes in sports. Aside from football, some of the other games they like include Tennis, Rugby, Hockey, Volleyball, and Basketball. - Gambling Taxes and Players Safety
Because France is very strict with the implementation of their gambling laws, player safety is a priority. If you bet on the websites that are not under the French jurisdiction, though, that is at your own risk.
Concerning taxes, only poker pools seem to be subject to tax, which equals around 2% to 8% of the winnings. Horse racing and other sports betting platforms are still untaxed. For the side of the companies, the government imposes a 33% corporate tax.
Sports Betting in France: An Overview
By knowing the betting environment of France and also some facts about the industry, we now have a better understanding of how the French bet. Now, if you happen to be a punter in France, how exactly do you choose the best betting website? Here are our criteria:
- Brand reputation
- Presence of a local license
- Scope of betting products
- Selection of betting markets
- Odds provided
- Certification and subjectivity to audits from bodies like eCORGA
- Quality of customer support
What kind of odds format is used in France?
Like the odds formats used by British bookmakers, most French bookmakers use either fractional or decimal odds. However, this may differ per bookmaker as some may choose to include American or even Indo odds.
Available betting markets in most bookmakers
Football is widespread among French bookmakers. However, other popular sports include volleyball, basketball, rugby, tennis, hockey, and handball. Horse racing and greyhound racing are also trendy options in French online betting sites.
Aside from that, you may also encounter some other unorthodox markets such as eSports. Some brands offer events for CS:GO, LOL, and Dota 2 games. This depends on the bookmaker.
User experience
When it comes to overall user experience, we will use the top 3 picks we mentioned earlier as our reference. Since they are the best ones in our case, we can say that they provide a superb overall user experience for French players.
They’re also quite known for their mobile platforms– and we know that mobile platforms are viral in France. With their own French mobile betting apps and mobile websites, they target a considerable slice of the French gambling market.
Bonuses and promotions for players from France
French punters love their bonuses like free bets. The bigger and more attractive the promo offer, the better. In fact, the bookmaker’s promotions are one of the main things French players look into when looking for websites to join.
Not only that but most bookmakers offer not only welcome packages for new players but also loyalty reward programs for existing customers.
Live Betting, Live Streaming & Cash Out Features
Live betting is something that all sports betting websites have. Actually, it is a staple in sportsbooks. Most live betting sportsbooks focus on football since football is undoubtedly the most popular sport in Europe.
However, horse racing and greyhound racing are also popular live betting options. For live streaming, most bookmakers from France do have videos streamed live for specific sports. Most also have cash out options for punters’ risk management.
Online Casinos in France
As we have already reiterated above, casino games are still banned in France. This is because the French government deems games like roulette, blackjack, and slots as too addictive. That’s why they don’t allow local players to engage in those games.
Available Methods for Withdrawals and Deposits
While the primary payment methods you can use on betting websites are debit and credit card payments (Mastercard and Visa), other methods also exist. These include e-wallets like Skrill or Neteller. Some sites even include Paypal as a payment method.
Mobile betting and betting apps
Bwin and Vbet are known to have available mobile apps for both iOS and Android devices. The advantage that they have over other sportsbooks that don’t have betting apps is that they can target mobile punters who only like to use apps.
In general, we can see that the mobile betting environment is very robust. The French gambling market has a strong demand for mobile platforms, and more and more sportsbooks are doing what they can to meet this demand.
Safety and Security
Since the French government regulates gambling entities in the country, they ensure that all these entities follow strict regulations. If a gambling platform complies with all the rules and has the necessary eCORGA certifications, it is safe.
As for information security, all sportsbooks have SSL security, as this is one of the requirements of regulated websites. This keeps the information of customers acquired by sportsbooks safe from unauthorized third-party access.
Is customer support good enough for players from France?
With our top choices, we can say that customer support among French players is decent. Our recommended companies have live chat support enabling you to get in contact with a support representative right away. At the same time, they have support emails and hotlines, as well as Live Chat. Through all of these options, you can address all of your concerns rapidly.
FAQs
Is online sports betting legal in France?
Yes, it is. However, the French betting company must comply with all policies set by the French government.
What are the most popular sports in France?
Football is quite popular, but other popular sports include basketball, tennis, and rugby. You’ll also find that horse racing is a trendy section in any France betting site.
Can you bet online in France?
Yes, you may, as long as the website you’re betting in complies with all regulations.
Do French bookmakers provide betting tips for players from France?
Most do in their blog or tips section. You’ll find statistics, game predictions, results, and more.
Is poker legal in France?
Yes, it is as long as the company holding the poker pool follows all regulations.
Are the winning limits of bookmakers in France regulated?
The limits and betting rules of betting sites in the country are determined by their own individual policies.
Do bookmakers in France offer options for betting champions league?
Yes, they do! You can bet on big leagues like these when the event offers come out.
Interesting Facts (Did you know that...)
- Did you know that although France bans casino games, they claim to have invented the roulette and house the first blackjack games?
- Did you know that the French government considers betting a skill but considers casino games purely luck-based?
- Did you know that if a bookmaker is legal in France, it uses .fr in its URL?
Are there any restrictions for players from France?
Generally, there are no restrictions when it comes to sports betting and poker pools. Of course, you need to remember that casino playing isn’t allowed in France. Also, do take note of the tremendous tax implications of gambling platforms, especially in poker pools, wherein 33% corporate tax is imposed.
Conclusion
There are quite a number of restrictions in the French gambling market. First, casinos are not allowed. This may limit the potential of sportsbooks that also have casinos. Second, the tax rates for poker and sports bets are rather high. This, in itself, may deter people from betting on French bookmakers prompting them to go for offshore options.
However, we can say that the French gambling industry is growing rapidly. With this, they may want to ease some of these restrictions to ensure the robust growth of the industry and to cater to the demand for good gambling experiences.
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