France’s New Online Poker Laws

Loyal French Poker Copilot customer Phil asks

What will happen [with Poker Copilot] when the new French online gambling laws are effective? The French laws will be like in the Italian model, playing between French players on certified rooms.

Here’s what will happen: Immediate Poker Copilot changes and updates. As soon as it is clear what needs to be done to make Poker Copilot keep working in France, I’ll make the necessary changes and release an update. Poker Copilot already works with the Italian-specific version of PokerStars, so if they release a France-specific client, we’re already in place to support it. We’re already adding support for Winamax’s new France-only client that will work within France’s online gambling laws.

On a personal note: I fully endorse governments regulating online gambling, and specifically online poker. In many countries the legality of online poker is uncertain and governments mostly turn a blind eye. Regulating online poker removes the legal ambiguity of taking part in an enormously popular pastime. It also will prevent the grossest excesses that some online poker firms sometimes indulge in.