SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
iCasino working committees are expected to continue, but uncertainty will be ongoing until a new government is appointed, as all industries monitor closely the movements on an embattled President Macron.
France’s online gambling sector is awaiting President Macron’s decision on the appointment of a new Prime Minister to form a government following Michel Barnier’s resignation.
Barnier’s government became the first to lose a confidence motion since 1962. The motion of censure was initiated by the hard-left party La France Insoumise, with support from the hard-right Rassemblement National, after rejecting the country’s 2025 budget.
Speaking on French television at the end of last week, Macron, who has reportedly been searching for a new Prime Minister since mid-November, stated that he would appoint Barnier’s successor as quickly as possible.
Avoiding a Void
Macron will also aim to avoid a repeat of the three-month summer period during which the country was without a government, following the snap legislative elections he called. If a new government is appointed swiftly, MPs and lawmakers have until 11 December to submit a new budget, although this timeline is considered unlikely.
In such a scenario, the 2024 budget will be adopted by special law, and a 2025 budget will be worked on in the early months of next year.
Firms across the country are anxiously observing Macron’s next move. However, the prospect of applying last year’s budget could offer some relief for online sports betting and poker operators, who would avoid the tax hikes planned under Barnier’s budget. A new budget would also provide an opportunity to lobby against tax increases and advocate for the regulation of online casinos.
On this matter, industry sources told Gaming&Co that the working committees studying the regulation of online casinos are expected to continue. However, it is still too early to determine how they might be affected by this week’s political developments. A left-wing-led government, however, is seen as an unpromising prospect for the industry.
France is in dire need of tax revenues to address its public debt and had looked to online casinos to generate €1 billion. However, political instability is likely to remain a defining feature until at least next summer—the earliest point at which new elections can be held.
