iGaming Business – Figures published by France’s igaming regulator ARJEL show that the French igaming sector recorded operating losses of €35m in 2013, a major drop on the 2012 losses of €85m caused in the main by operators’ marketing and advertising expenses.

The figures were part of ARJEL’s annual report published last week. They reveal that after four years of regulation, France’s igaming sector continues to struggle to find an equilibrium as it grapples with high taxes and a tough economic climate.

In his foreword, ARJEL president Charles Coppolani said that “international cooperation will be one of my priorities”.

Asked whether said “international cooperation” would mean ARJEL once again presenting an amendment proposal of the 2010 regulation to enable a sharing of EU poker liquidities or pushing for some coordination of taxation frameworks between Member States, ARJEL commented: “In France, (only) Parliament has this power (to amend the regulation). As you know, it exercised it recently (in December 2013) by rejecting this proposal. ARJEL took note of the reservations that were expressed and is studying the subject in order to make new proposals that are more in keeping with the spirit of the legislator. We are therefore currently studying the topic, having listened to the operators concerned.”

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