Best casino sites in France

Population: 68 million
Active Players: 11 million
Currency: EUR(€)
Regulated Gambling Products: land-based casinos, online and land-based bookmakers, betting exchanges, horse racing, lotteries
Operator Types: land-based casinos, offshore online casinos operating without a license, online bookmakers, betting shops
Designated Authority:  Autorité Nationale des Jeux  (ANJ)
Status: Fully regulated

There are many reasons why France is famous all across the globe. The Eiffel tower, the fantastic wines, or delicious pastry and of course their talent in football are all things that immediately come to mind. A prosperous European country with a vibrant history and culture, France is one of the leading nations in the EU at the moment.

When you mix a high standard of living with the passion for gambling shown by a nation that gave the world the game of roulette, you get a very good environment for gambling. That’s why, the French authorities were quick to pass a gambling law in 2010 that regulates the online gambling environment. If you’re looking for a licensed online casino, France may not be the best place to look since the current legislation leaves online casinos outside the law. For a full overview regarding the casinos in France, keep reading the article we prepared for you!

Did You Know That?

• The legal gambling age in France is 18
• The 2010 law on online gambling legalised online sports betting, horse racing, and poker but left online casinos out
• Earlier in 2020, the French Gambling Authority changed its name to L’Autorite Nationale de Jeux from Autorité de régulation des jeux en ligne (ARJEL)
• France has some of the highest gambling taxes in Europe
• Horse racing is very popular in the country with Pari Mutuel Hippodrome and being the main entity to provide them

Casino Sites in France

When talking about enjoying a casino online, France is not an offering territory. The 2010 law specifically indicates online casinos as being illegal so the only option for casino enthusiasts is using the international casino sites that accept French players. 

Legal Casino Sites in France

The only legal casino sites in France are the land-based venues. These are the only casinos that received a license by the state and, even though they offer great services, it’s impossible for them to compete with online casinos. The complete list of casinos in France contains hundreds of entries, however, names like Casino Le Croisette, or Casino Barrière d’Enghien-les-Bains remain some of the most famous.

International Casino Sites in France

When choosing the best online casino in France, players need to focus their attention towards the offshore casinos that accept players from this jurisdiction. Luckily for gambling enthusiasts, there are plenty of good venues that are happy to offer their services in the country. PlayoJo is one of the top-notch online casinos accepting players from France and it delivers exquisite services all across. The lack of restrictions or fines towards players from France enjoying the services of international online casinos leaves them able to freely choose their favorite venues.

Welcome Bonuses and Deposit Limits

Since there are no licensed online casinos in France, the offshore operators use this to their advantage. A high welcome bonus is always a good way to promote a casino and that’s what most competitors do. The online casino welcome bonuses usually consist in a mix of percentage bonus and a pack of free spins. For example, a 150% bonus and 100 free spins is considered a good first deposit bonus at a casino targeting the French market. The usual wagering requirements at the international casinos accepting French players sit at 35x the bonus amount while the maximum amount of bonus is usually limited at €1,000. Most international casinos operating in France are offering the welcome bonus for a minimum deposit of €10. However, we encourage you to double-check this amount before you sign-up.

Betting with EUR

All the best French casino sites offer Euro as standard currency. Since it’s used in so many important markets, it would be a huge mistake not to include Euro on the currency list. So, French players can enjoy all the online slots and table games without thinking about currency exchange fees or having to figure out how much they should deposit to enjoy various bonuses.

How to Deposit and Withdraw on French Casino Sites?

To be deemed the best casino in France, operators need to make sure they provide all the popular payment options as well. A good bonus and being able to play in Euro is nothing if players can’t use their favorite deposit methods.

Bank Transfer

Most of the local banks (Credit Agricole, BNP Paribas, Societe Generale, etc) offer internet banking apps that can be used to make deposits towards online casinos. While the authorities sometimes block the domains of foreign casinos, transactions towards international entities are not subject to any restrictions just yet. Moneyclick is another bank transfer deposit option that can be used for online gambling within France.

eWallet Options

Similar to other European markets, ewallets are very popular in France as well. Skrill and PayPal are top choices for French casino aficionados since Neteller can’t be used for online gambling in the country. Paylib is a local ewallet that has grown in popularity among casino players. However, it’s not widely supported by international online casinos. 

Mobile Payments

As it stands, there are no dedicated French mobile payment methods available. Boku is available for Orange users in France that want to pay by phone at online casinos. 

Cryptocurrency

Among the offshore online casinos operating on the French market, you will find operators that allow you to play your favorite games using cryptocurrency. Furthermore, cryptocurrency exchanges are legal in France so getting Bitcoin or other cryptos shouldn’t be an issue. 

How to Create and Verify Your Account on French Casino Sites

• Just like with any other online casino from different markets, you need to start by accessing the website and click “Sign Up” or “Register”
• Then, you’ll be asked to provide some personal details
• Full Name, Address, Date of Birth, and Phone Number are the fields that you will need to insert first
• Some casinos will ask you to verify your phone number during the registration process (this is done by inserting a code received via SMS after providing the phone number)
• Finally, choose the currency and the username for your casino account and finalize the process

Even though not all online casinos will ask for a verification procedure right after you create the account, it’s still a good idea to go through this process. The standard KYC procedure requires players to send a copy of a photo ID, a proof of address and proof of payment to fully verify the account. You’ll need to complete the verification before your first withdrawal is paid so it’s better to take it out of the way.

What Can We Expect from French Gambling Law Changes?

It looks like the French authorities are pretty satisfied with the way the gambling environment looks. The state is cashing in huge amounts due to the high taxes the licensed operators pay. And even though illegal online casino operations are putting a dent in the revenue, it doesn’t seem that ANJ will come with extra punitive measures for those enjoying the services of offshore online casinos.