France would consider to be the next country in Europe to allow online gambling, and more specifically, online casinos. While the nation has legalized sports betting and other interactive gambling, online casinos are strictly prohibited. A new proposed law that would attempt to at least take the possibility of online casinos into consideration may now be able to change this.

Last week, Proposition 1248 was presented to the National Assembly, which is the French legislature. Its goal is to obtain enough votes to become law. Philippe Latombe, a Democratic Movement MP who has advocated for the liberalization of the online casino industry, supports the bill.

Latombe also suggests that only local operators be permitted to operate for the first five years, wanting to emulate the Swiss model to some extent. For instance, Switzerland only permits domestic gaming companies to open accounts at online casinos; the nation even held a referendum to forbid foreign companies from entering the country's regulated online gambling market.

According to Article 2 of the proposal, if passed by 2025, the moratorium would be in effect until January 1, 2030. The bill would then allow foreign companies to try and set up shop in the nation if they are interested, after this "grace period" ends. The moratorium is also intended to shield the already-established land-based casino sector from any sudden shocks that might be detrimental to the economy rather than beneficial.

The proposal's Article 3 describes tax requirements that are strikingly similar to those of other online gambling products. Additionally, the plan seeks to support industry growth naturally rather than pressuring customers or stakeholders into making snap decisions.

This must be stopped, argues the proposal by introducing a dedicated and trusted industry at home. Presently, France has a sports betting industry that accepts online wagers. To operate an online sportsbook, a company must have a tether to a land-based venue, which is so that companies would have an actual stake in France and strive to do better by consumers.