Since June, online poker has finally been liberalized in France. However, many players do not seem to appreciate the new regulations imposed by the government. A few weeks after the introduction of the law, it is time to take stock.
The first complaint relates to the significant decline in the field of play. From now on to play in France under the new regulations, players must have an account in France only on approved sites. Thus, the days when arcades were popular at any time of day or night are over. Because French Internet users only play amongst themselves, there is an automatic slack periods during which it is more difficult to find opponents. Thus, big players can not play as much as before, which represents a decrease in their potential earnings.
The second major grievance concerns the increase of commission charged by operators in each round during a game. Thus, for the same amount of bet, the winner of the hand will receive less money than before.
The reasons for discontent from the players are already harming the various online poker sites approved in France. In fact, certain Internet users leave these virtual rooms to go and play on others which are based abroad and therefore do not need to respect the French law.