Betting in France
Many types of betting are legal within the realms of the French gambling industry and the country follows a similar model to the UK. The gambling companies available in both countries have many similarities and the punters seem to have similar betting tastes. Pari-Mutuel or PMU betting is apparent within a wide range of sports events and has a stronghold over horse race betting in France. It operates very much like the well-known Tote system in Britain. PMU prices are offered to foreign punters keen to wager on major events such as the Longchamp festival and the Arc De Triomphe horse race meeting.
The betting pool system often results in good prices for foreign horses, as French punters tend to back French horses. France is renowned for its horse racing and the sport plays a major part in the nations gambling industry. However, French citizens also enjoy football and the nations gambling industry benefits hugely from punters wagering on the sport.
France won the World Cup in 1998, and the success benefited the countries gambling industry in a major way. Citizens became more interested in wagering on the sport, especially as online betting had recently become available. However, internet bookies were officially banned in France for a long time and online betting was ruled by the PMU.
The French gambling regulations regarding betting online gradually became more relaxed as sportsbooks from abroad grew in popularity. Amendments to the gambling laws made it easier for French citizens to wager online, which in turn resulted in an increase in profits. Organised internet gambling in France has been very successful and has had a positive effect on the nation’s economy as well as boosting the gambling industry.
Legal gambling companies based in France offer a wide variety of betting markets and services to the local citizens. Punters can shop around for the best prices in the very competitive gambling market.
Despite such free gambling reign, many negative social repercussions often associated with gambling have not come to prominence in France and the country’s liberal betting attitude and laws generally appears to have affected all parties positively.
Overall, the gambling culture in France seems to have a positive effect on society with many of the negative aspects commonly associated with betting, less prominent than in other countries.
Gambling business in France is booming, partly due to the array of sporting events happening both on a national and worldwide scale. and partly because gambling has become a daily pastime.
