The French tradition of toughly regulating gambling activities – including bingo - on its jurisdictions might be about to change. Its interior minister, Michele Aillot-Marie, said that he is partial to the liberalization of online gambling with a view to giving French casinos online presence.

Alliot-Marie also mentioned this should be done “without lowering the level of vigilance that operators and the state must maintain on the quality and offering of games.” In a country with a tough online gambling policy and a state-run gambling monopoly, these statements offer hope to online gambling operators.

With the current monopoly non-French companies have a hard time trying to enter the French gambling market. Francaise des Jeux and PMU, the most powerful French gambling monopolies, justify their control of the industry claiming that gambling should be regulated.

The legality of the French state-run gambling monopoly has been questioned many times. Gambling, free online bingo and bingo online games are part of an industry covered by freedom of trade obligation in the European Union (EU) treaty. As a member of the EU, France should abide to it.