The French Minister of the Interior is considering a proposal that would add more casinos in more places around the country. Under the original law, enacted in 1907, only seaside resorts or spa towns could host casinos in France; in 1988, that category was expanded to include cities with a population of more than 500,000 that met other criteria.
The latest report proposes that any municipality that can be defined as a tourist city that has more than 100,000 inhabitants should be able to operate a casino.
According to CDC Gaming Reports, MP Jean-Luc Warsmann and Didier Herbillion, mayor of Sedan in the Ardennes region of France, have been pushing for the relaxation of this legislation for more than 15 years.
In early 2019, President Emmanuel Macron met with Jackie Goulet, mayor of Saumur, who pleaded with all the members of the department for a casino in his city. According to Goulet, Macron was in agreement.
“A lot of Ardennes play in casinos in Belgium because there is no casino in our department,” said Warsmann. “I insist on defending France’s fiscal interests. In addition, a casino is a lever of attraction for the territories.”
