The proposal, introduced as part of the 2025 draft budget, was discussed in the National Assembly on Monday. If approved, online casinos will face a 55.6% tax on their turnover.
A 2023 study by France’s gaming regulator, ANJ, estimated illegal gambling revenues between €748 million and €1.5 billion, highlighting the financial potential of legalizing the industry.
France Considers Legalizing Online Casinos to Tackle Budget Deficit France Considers Legalizing Online Casinos to Tackle Budget DeficitHowever, the proposed legislation is raising concerns among land-based casino operators. Grégory Rabuel, president of the Casinos de France union said:
France Considers Legalizing Online Casinos to Tackle Budget Deficit“According to our calculations, opening up online casinos to competition will lead to a drop in the gross gaming revenue of land-based casinos of around 20 to 30%, and the closure of 30% of establishments.
France Considers Legalizing Online Casinos to Tackle Budget Deficit
“This is a complex question insofar as the online casino offer is particularly addictive. Nor is it certain that the opening of this new offer will automatically dry up the illegal offer. Finally, we must be careful not to weaken our network of more than 200 land-based casinos.”
The latest gambling statistics for France show that the casino industry generated €2.7 billion in revenues across 2023, an 8.1% increase from the previous year.
The Budget Deficit Crisis
France’s public deficit reached 5.5% of GDP last year, surpassing EU targets. Budget Minister Laurent Saint-Martin indicated the deficit could exceed 6% this year. With declining tax revenues, the government is seeking new income sources, including from the regulated online casino market.
