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France starts to water down its proposed gambling bill

This was always going to happen - maybe not this particular change, but like any negotiations, you start with a ridiculous offer, then gradually become more realistic.

Betting operators in France will no longer have to close down all French accounts from the time the law is voted until the licences are awarded, but they will have to transfer them all to the .fr site once approved and operating in France. A pain in the arse maybe, but not the end of the world, after all, that's what Betfair did with accounts in Australia & NZ when they got the Tasmanian licence.

Operators in France escape player account shut downs

And to counter their position, they've decided to increase penalties on firms not seeking French licences. Yeah, can really see that one working....

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