BAD NEWS FOR PUNTERS!

We insist on showing French racing on Tellytrack to keep our punters in the dark!

I am sure this is what Phumelela want?

Bookmakers and exchanges still to be excluded in France



IN line with European Commission directives, the French betting market is set to be opened up to limited competition – but bookmakers and betting exchanges will not be allowed to operate across the Channel.

Bertrand Belinguier, president of the nation's off-course tote, the Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU), confirmed the news on Tuesday when he also revealed an excellent set of figures for 2007.

Under the new scheme, limited competition will be introduced only gradually, while a pari-mutuel operation is to remain the only authorised betting system. Any new operators will have to be licensed and face stiff controls; bookmakers and exchanges are to be ruled out.

Although the French scheme still has to be rubber-stamped by president Nicolas Sarkozy, such a detailed outline of future plans would not have been released if they had not been given the nod in Brussels.

Belinguier seems resigned about taking on newcomers in the French betting market, which turned over €8.842 billion (about £7.06bn) last year.
As Belinguier on Tuesday announced the PMU's 2007 results, he referred to recent proclamations made by Eric Woerth, the budget minister who doubles as mayor of Chantilly.

Belinguier said: “The government announced last summer that the French betting marketwould be gradually opened up to other operators but they will have to be licensed and there will be a preparation period of one or two years to digest the changes.

“A mutual system will be the only one permitted and newcomers will have to guarantee that they return to government and racing the revenue they currently receive from the sport.”

Belinguier emphasised that traditional bookmakers and exchanges will not be welcome. “Betting exchanges and bookmakers will not be allowed as the only legal betting in France will be operated by a pari-mutuel system,” he said.

“Each state inside the common market will have its own legislation when it comes to betting,” he added. “In France, 67,000 are directly employed in the racing industry and any future operator must also contribute to its success in the same way.”

French market is already "open" to a degree, www.zeturf.com , an offshore PMU based operation has been taking business off the state monolopy for some time. Note they use a pool betting formula.

They have been dragged through the courts, their business is still thriving, forcing the state hand. Their website is far better than French PMU, a credit to them.

First came the monolopy, then the regulator then the entrepraneur....... then the monolopy propaganda. Somewhere in between came the internet.