The French Government has reportedly effectively outlawed the online betting exchange Betfair after passing an amendment to new gambling laws.
Describing the development as a “surprise last-minute amendment,” The Guardian reported that betting exchanges such as Betfair that allow punters to lay as well as place bets were excluded from the legislation.
France’s new laws have opened up the betting market for the first time, but also enshrined the principle that any bookmaker must apply for a licence and agree to pay a proportion of their revenues to sport. Online betting exchanges will not be able to apply for one of the new licences after it was ruled that allowing punters to lay bets contradicted this principle, reported The Guardian.
For its part, the company termed the move as a “discriminatory” one.
Betfair’s managing director, Mark Davies, said the move is fairly clearly discriminatory against the biggest and most competitive online operator in Europe. “It is a slap in the face for the consumer,” he said.
