French sports betting right "highly problematic", EGBA says
The French government's plan to make operators pay sport federations for the right to offer markets on their events is "highly problematic," the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has told EGRmagazine.com.
The French government’s plan to make operators pay sport federations for the right to offer markets on their events is “highly problematic,” the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has told EGRmagazine.com.
The French government is intent on introducing the sports betting right as part of the draft gambling regulation France plans to implement next year in order to “preserve the integrity of sports”.
Speaking to eGaming Review, however, EGBA director for regulatory affairs Maarten Haijer said that while online betting operators are willing to contribute funds to sporting bodies, the French government should instead do that directly by distributing the tax revenues it will receive from them as part of the licensing regime.
Haijer said: “EGBA members have always been willing to pay taxes and contribute to sports federations, but the EGBA is opposed to what would be a precedent in Europe: there is no link between a sports betting right and the integrity of sport.”
Many also feel the issue of integrity is being used as a pretext by the French authorities to introduce the revenue-raising measures.
It is also seen as a political device by government to allow it permit licensed operators to work in France by showing that sports bodies make financial revenue from it.
The EGBA added that the French-licensed companies affected by the levy would end up promoting markets on leagues for which they hadn’t had to pay any rights rather than the major French football or other sports leagues.