ONLINE GAMBLING: FRANCE UNDER PRESSURE.

European online betting companies are calling for a "debate" to be held in France on the future of the sector. They are "being treated as criminals despite having made transparency and responsible gambling the fundamental elements of their policy" confirmed theaEuropean Betting Association (EBA), an association of leading European sports betting operators, in a recent open letter to the French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin. In France, gambling is a state held monopoly and the Parliament is preparing to crack down on illegal gambling. In reaction, the EBA has confirmed that the development of online gambling "has not been detrimental to state monopolies which have been able to increase the games offered and...