Bingo: French plan to open their gaming markets by 2009

Media speculation that the French gambling market, including bingo, is about to be opened to allow EU-based companies to operate there has been confirmed by a report that French Budget Minister Eric Woerth said the government is aiming for a "controlled opening" of the market by 2009 or 2010.

Woerth gave his view to France's newspaper Le Parisien.  He went on to further say that future private gambling operators, like bingo, will be licensed under French regulations and subject to the same regulations that govern the current gambling monopoly Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU).

The report is welcome news to the online bingo games industry which has been denied access to the French market under the current regime.  Online bingo halls and online bingo operators can now look forward to building a market in what was once a closed industry.

Woerth said he expects plans for the liberalizing of the market to be completed this year and a test phase to be launched in 2009 or 2010.