FRENCH MONOPOLIES RECEIVE A KNOCK

13 July 2007

Top French Court favours EU approach to gambling

France’s highest appeals court, the Cour de Cassation, has ruled that the only justification the country can have for a monopoly on sports betting is through crime prevention.

The court made the ruling as part of a sanction review against Malta-based betting company, Zeturf (see previous InfoPowa report) in regards to horse racing. Paris Mutuel Urbain, which holds a monopoly in remote horse race betting took the matter before the court.

Reuters news service reported that France's top court overturned the decision to ban the Maltese company from offering online betting on horse races in France, adding to pressure from the European Commission for an end to the French state monopoly.

Under European Union rules, limits to competition, even those 'stemming from limits on gaming as a special or exclusive right, cannot be justified,' the Cour de Cassation, said Wednesday as it announced its decision.

Such restrictions can be used only to block gambling companies from 'criminal or fraudulent' activities by 'channeling them through controllable avenues,' the court, based in Paris, said in its ruling this week.

The decision sends the case against Zeturf, a Maltese Internet gambling company, back to a Paris appeals court for a rehearing. It could take up to a year for the case to come back to court..."

Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa