The French authorities have provided further evidence that they will not tolerate online gambling operators preempting their liberal online gambling laws due to take effect early 2010.
Earlier in the year French Budget Minister Eric Woerth, who is overseeing the new laws drafting and implementation was quoted in Le Figaro saying, "“the current law is very clear and it needs to be applied. Those websites do not yet have the right to operate in France and the ban also applies to any advertising that they may wish to do". The comments were prompted by BetClic beginning a mainstream radio advertising campaign before the new regime was in place.
Despite Woerth's stance on the matter, this week Olympique Lyonnais football club sought to take the field in strips bearing sponsorship details from a well known online gambling operator. Authorities' response was clear and strong. The club was ordered to remove the sponsorship details or the game would not go ahead. The referee was given the authority (by Ligue de Football Professionel, backed by Woerth's office) to cancel the game if the club did not comply.
Woerth was quick to condemn the publicity attempt and hint that such strategies could well harm operator's chances of receiving licenses when the the new regulations do come into effect.
""Obviously, the State, as the regulatory authority for online games, will take into account what is happening at the time of issuing the licenses. Wearing an advertisement for an illegal transaction is strictly prohibited. I will not let it happen."
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