Probability: we will apply for a French licence 22/10/2009

jake Pollard

MOBILE GAMING SPECIALIST Probability will apply for a license to offer mobile poker in France next year once draft laws regulating online betting and gaming have been voted through.

Although the French licensing regime has set out not to allow real money gaming via mobile devices, Probability chief executive Charles Cohen told EGRmagazine.com he was confident his company would get licensed by the French authorities.

Cohen said: “Our games are played through the mobile phone but are offered over the internet, so our offering is mobile and also online. This will allow us to apply for the licence to offer our products to French players next year.”

Probability will apply for a licence hould the regulation and associated costs and other conditions suit the company, Cohen said, adding that the French authorities and monopolies would be likely to look on his company’s application more favourably than they would on major current poker operators which already have significant market share in France and represent serious competition for state monopolies.

The current proposal to regulate online poker in France will set the tax rate at 2% of pots, capped at €0.9.  

As reported on EGRmagazine.com, many aspects of the French draft law were subject to numerous amendments in early October when debated by the National Assembly, including ameasure to force sites currently taking French bets to close all existing accounts until they are licensed.

The bill is set to go before the French Senate in mid-December, before being passed into law in January.Operators and gaming companies will then be able to apply for licences that will be handed out in June in time for the football World Cup in South Africa.

In other French egaming news this week, Eurosport betting company SPS revealed it is to launch an Italy-facing site as a trial run ahead of obtaining a French licence next year.

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Posted: 22/10/2009