French Gambling Operators Lobby for Progress on Taxes, iGaming Plans
France is moving toward the integration of online casinos, but progress is slow. Now, leaders from France's major gambling enterprises have made a collective appeal for the government to reconsider its current taxation framework and to move forward with the regulation of online casinos.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The call came during a recent Senate Finance Committee hearing, where the heads of the nation's top gaming organizations argued that the existing approach to taxation and the absence of a regulated iCasino market are detrimental to the regulated gambling sector, the national economy, and consumers.
Related: French iGaming Regulation Talks to Begin on the 2nd of DecemberRepresenting the industry were Nicolas Béraud, CEO of Betclic and President of the online gaming association AFJEL; Stéphane Pallez, CEO of Française des Jeux (FDJ); and Grégory Rabuel, CEO of Barrière Groupe and President of Casinos de France (CdF). The three executives addressed the financial pressures the sector is experiencing due to what they describe as excessive and poorly structured taxation.
Despite their differing perspectives on certain aspects of the industry, they expressed unified support for exploring a single, consolidated tax on gross gaming revenue (GGR) to replace the multiple taxes currently applied to different forms of gambling.
The hearing highlighted concerns over the new taxes introduced in July to finance France's social security programs. Pallez described these taxes as counterproductive, arguing that they subtract directly from company turnover without delivering corresponding benefits to players or generating meaningful revenue for the state.
According to her assessment, this tax structure has stunted growth, causing FDJ to project no financial expansion in 2025 for the first time since 2019. Furthermore, she noted that the policy has undermined investor confidence, forced staffing adjustments, and delivered lower tax revenues than more efficient alternatives could have generated. She cited that the Euromillions jackpots generated tax and revenue returns equivalent to the newly implemented levies.
Béraud echoed these concerns, stating that the 2025 tax increases have significantly weakened the online gambling segment, which he described as a vital contributor to the national economy. He emphasized the absence of dialogue with stakeholders during the decision-making process and cautioned that without adjustments in 2026, smaller operators may be forced to cease operations due to unsustainable financial pressure.
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The hearing also addressed the contentious issue of online casino regulation. While Rabuel reiterated the cautious stance of CdF, he stated that if lawmakers chose to legalize iCasinos, his organization would engage in the process to represent its members' interests. He referenced the internal JADE project as a potential framework for participation.
In contrast, Béraud advocated strongly for legalizing the vertical. He asserted that online casino gambling is already occurring in an unregulated environment, making the current policy ineffective.
He argued that legalizing the sector is essential, as the lack of regulation results in tax losses estimated between €1 billion and €2 billion annually, limits the regulator's ability to safeguard consumers, and cedes business opportunities to offshore operators. He emphasized that domestic online operators could help grow this sector responsibly and that many land-based casinos are already preparing for such a shift by hiring relevant talent.
Béraud also addressed concerns that regulated online casinos could cannibalize land-based revenues. He pointed out that French casinos have shown consistent growth over the past four years, suggesting that if cannibalization were a real threat, its effects would already be evident.
Despite warnings from CdF suggesting online regulation could result in a 25% drop in revenues and up to 15,000 job losses, Béraud maintained that the benefits of integrating online casinos into the regulated market far outweigh the risks. He characterized the current stagnation as harmful, with billions in potential tax revenue being lost and millions of players remaining unprotected in an unregulated market.
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