Online casinos accepting players from France

Online gambling in France is legal and licensed by regulatory authorities. Unfortunately, the government has decided that horse racing, sportsbetting, and poker are the only online gambling activities that are acceptable. Casino games such as slots, blackjack, roulette, and craps are all forbidden from being licensed for online play.

Online gambling in France is overseen by ARJEL [Autorite de Regulation des Jeux en Ligne (eng. The Regulatory Authority for Online Games)]. They also publish a list of licensed operators such as PokerStars and PartyPoker.

While offshore operators are not licensed in the country, we are aware of no prosecution of players who venture onto the internet and play at operations licensed elsewhere. Many, but not all online casinos located offshore, welcome players from France and French Territories.

The authorities have had the ability to block ISPs under certain conditions since 2014. ARJEL, in collaboration with the Budget Ministry, has the ability to execute payment blocking as well.

Most players will not experience either of the market protection methods in place to protect government monopolies or licensed operators. Authorities do not maintain a blacklist of banned sites.

If you choose to use a VPN to access a gaming site, it is strongly suggested that you get an agreement with the operator in writing before risking your funds. Some venues will allow you to use a VPN and others will not.

Player Protections in France

Online casino gamblers who experience control problems are not protected by the country's self-exclusion program known as “L ‘interdiction volontaire de jeux”. Land-based gamblers and those who bet on horses, sports, and poker can exclude themselves from gambling for a minimum of three years. When the term has expired they must explicitly petition the Ministry of the Interior in order to be removed from the list.

Land casino gamblers who experience problems can exclude themselves from specific venues under a program known as "ANPR", rather than entering their information into the nationwide database.

Number of Casino Licenses in France

While there are no limits on the number of terrestrial licenses available, market forces have capped land casinos to about 200. Most of these properties are owned and operated by one of four main operators in the country: Barriere, Partouche, JOA, and Tranchant.

Gambling Growth in France by the Numbers

According to H2 Gambling Capital's most recent report, the FDJ Sports / Lottery / Bingo sector is the fast-growing interactive element of the French gambling economy with Gross Gambling Wins (GGW) of €5.60m in 2018 rising to an expected €6.46m in 2019 with steady growth predicted for all intervening years and GGW of €12.20m projected for 2024.

H2GC has proven to be the most accurate forecaster of gambling revenues, offering deep research and frequent updates to their databases. Total onshore interactive gaming for 2020 is projected to be €2511.4m with offshore (mostly poker sites) achieving €523.5m.

It is estimated by the European Casino Association that the unlicensed offshore market (mostly casino games) is worth only 15 to 20 percent of the legal online market, or about €150m.

Online Games for French Players

While the authorities have deemed online games of chance to be too "addictive" to regulate, other licensing authorities do not make such a distinction. Offshore casinos in licensing jurisdictions such as Curacao and elsewhere offer every type of game usually found in French terrestrial casinos.

Following is a partial list of games found at the gaming sites we list here that accept players from France:

• Chemin de fer (Baccarat, Punto Banco) - multiple variants, commission/no commission, side bets, etc.
• Blackjack - At least a dozen variants and rule sets
• Casino Poker - Casino Hold'em, Oasis, 3-Card Poker, etc.
• Casino War - A "child's game" with real money wagering
• Craps
• Keno
• Progressive Slots - Multi-million dollar jackpots
• Reel Slots - Mostly 3-reels, traditional and modern bonus mechanics
• Roulette - French/0/00
• Sic Bo - Asian game using 3 dice
• Unique Games - Fixed odds, virtual racing, and virtual sports, eSPorts, pull tabs, etc.
• Video Poker - Over 1,000 paytables, providers, and hand counts from single hand to 100 hands per round
• Video Slots - The most popular casino gambling game online

Live Dealer Streams

Online players in France no longer need to visit one of their local casinos to play table and card games against real live dealers. Several providers stream live games from studios and casino floors in Europe. No special software is needed to play as the HTML5 framework allows players in France to play on their mobile or desktop device web browsers.

The most popular live games are blackjack and roulette, but baccarat and Sic Bo can also be found in abundance.

Live casino games are usually accessed directly from the online site's lobby page.

Look for table limits from €0.10 to €500,000 per hand or round. Some operators offer one on one games to rated VIP players.

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French Mobile Gaming

Any game that can be played on a desktop browser can also be played on your mobile device. Some operators offer apps for Android and iOS, but the modern HTML5 protocol allows gameplay right in your browser, so you won't need to download or install any apps for most sites. Poker is the exception to the rules as poker (cash games and tournaments) platforms are usually a stand-alone operation separate from the casino software.

All games are available in France for smartphone, tablet, laptop, and desktop systems regardless of the OS, be it Mac, PC, or Linex, etc.

French Casino Bonuses

Each gaming site has its own offers as well as terms and conditions. French players can take advantage of welcome bonuses or multi-stage welcome packages (good for more than one deposit) as well as VIP status and rewards.

If you are familiar with Bitcoin and other digital currency transactoins it is always good to see if the site offers special bonuses for using cryptocurrency.

Since there are no processor fees on the cashier end, and players cannot chargeback a busted deposit with BTC, many sites offer amazing match percentages for using future currency rather than fiat euros. Most sites also raise the limit on the amount of money eligible for match play far beyond the limit for euros.

Most gambling websites are now using geolocation software. The site will either be in the French language or you will have an option to choose French. Just as important is the fact that geolocation allows casino marketers to offer only the bonuses available for your region.

French players are most welcome at our listed properties and can expect to find some very lucrative welcome offers designed especially for them.

Be sure to consider accepting a No Deposit bonus offer as long as you can still get deposit matches and extra spins. The amount you can cash out from free chips is usually limited, and you may need to make a small verification deposit to cash out, but you will be playing with their money, rather than any of your own!

French Casino Payment Methods

France is one of the leading nations in the Bitcoin movement. So much so that they have asked the European Union (EU) to adopt the country's cryptocurrency regulations for all member countries.

We've already mentioned the bonus enhancements possible with BTC transactions. Another benefit is the payout speed. Some gaming sites will payout in less than 15 minutes if you deposit with a cryptocurrency. Some others pay within 24 hours.

Sofort is a popular deposit option for players in France as well as Germany and Austria.

Skrill and Neteller are popular eWallets for French players. Be sure to check bonus terms and conditions if you intend to deposit with one of these wallets as some welcome offers will not be available for this deposit method. Maximum bet amounts may also be reduced when using Neteller or Skrill.

Rapid Transfer is a relatively new Skrill deposit method which sends money directly from your bank account to the casino. Some players complain it actually takes longer than a regular Skrill deposit from a funded wallet.

If you find the PayPal logo in the cashier section of your favorite gaming site you will be able to transfer funds using your account. France is one of the countries with the most PayPal services. Australia, Canada, USA, UK, Germany, Netherlands, and New Zealand are also "preferred countries" and all but US players can use their accounts for online gambling.

Inpay supports some French banks for deposits. It is a Danish company with localized transactions. More and more online casinos are adopting the method every month. Players access their banked funds by using their regular and familiar online banking pages to make deposits.

The method is fully encrypted and secure. Inpay is regulated by the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA).

Neosurf is a French company. We list over 80 gaming sites that accept the payment method. You can read all about Neosurf here. 

You can also access tutorial videos in French by visiting the company's Youtube channel here.

Other methods may be available to players in France. The best course of action is to visit a site listed here and look for your preferred payment method on the footer of the home page, or in the cashier section. If you see the logo, you should be able to deposit. When in doubt about deposits and withdrawals, a customer service representative will be glad to assist you.

French Online Casino Conclusion

Gamblers in France have been deprived of licensed and regulated online casino gambling along with the protections that go along with a robust regulatory framework. However, many operators are willing to provide services to them.

Before joining an offshore gambling site, please read our reviews and consider the pros and cons of each one - not all sites are perfect for everyone. If you decide to click through without reading the critical review, please be sure to check the terms and conditions if you plan to accept a deposit incentive such as a match bonus or extra spins.

By following our guides and choosing a gaming site that accepts French players, you are already on your way to a safe and secure online casino gambling experience. We've done the hard work for you so that you can simply enjoy your gaming time.