France’s Land-Based Casinos Resist Online Gambling Legalization

Casinos de France, the main trade body representing the country’s land-based casinos, has strongly opposed any government proposals to legalize online casinos. The association warned that such a move could result in losses exceeding €500 million ($576 million) from public finances while threatening jobs and local economies.

Recent calls to reform France’s online gambling market have gained momentum, amid concerns over illegal operations. Currently, only online sports betting, horse race betting, and poker are permitted, while casino games remain prohibited.

Lost Revenue Claims Dismissed as False

In a statement released on Wednesday, Casinos de France estimated that permitting online casinos would produce a net annual loss of €546 million for public finances, factoring in indirect costs associated with health and employment.

Grégory Rabuel, president of Casinos de France and CEO of Barrière Group, rejected AFJEL’s claim that €1.2 billion is lost to illegal online operators, describing it as unfounded. “It’s a hoax, and worse, it’s a loss for the state,” he said. “Destruction of local jobs, reduction of municipal budgets, the withering away of cultural life in towns and villages. I’m not even mentioning the impact on the mental health of the French, which would amount to hundreds of millions in additional costs for social security.”

The association further warned that a legal online casino market could trigger widespread job losses, force business closures, and reduce resources for municipalities, ultimately undermining social and economic cohesion.

Impact on Physical Casinos and Local Communities

Currently, France hosts 203 casinos and seven gaming clubs in Paris, employing more than 31,000 people. The sector generates approximately €1.6 billion in tax and social security contributions annually, including over €600 million directed to local municipalities. Casinos de France argued that legalizing online casinos would directly reduce these revenues.

While acknowledging that other European countries have legalized online casinos, the association highlighted negative consequences for land-based venues and continued illegal gambling. For instance, Sweden saw all its physical casinos close after online legalization, with nearly 40% of wagers still placed on unauthorized platforms. Switzerland has faced persistent issues with mirror sites circumventing regulatory blocks.

“Everywhere, the promise of new revenue has turned into a net loss for local communities: decreased economic activity, job losses, a surge in risky behaviour and the persistence of a thriving black market,”Casinos de France stated.

Land-Based Casinos Offer a Safer, Responsible Model

The trade body emphasized that physical casinos provide a “social, humane and profoundly responsible” gambling environment, with rigorous player screening, exclusion of minors, and immediate identification of risky behaviour. “Supervision is real, immediate and humane. Casinos directly ensure addiction prevention and support concrete responsible gaming programmes. They are places of community and social connection, where gambling is never an incentive but a controlled, monitored activity, integrated into the local economy,” the association said.

Casinos de France concluded that France’s land-based casino network preserves jobs, public health, and municipal budgets, serving as a regulated and responsible model that online casinos cannot replicate.

Source:

Casinos De France LinkedIn, November 2025