French Success For Party Gaming And Poker Stars

Two of the industry's major operators score French licensing.

The French gambling regulator ARJEL has released its second list of new licensees, which features two of the online gambling industry's major operators, Party Gaming and Pokerstars.

The following were the companies successful in this second wave of licensing:

LIL Managers Ltd (FriendBet.fr): sports betting

Reel Malta Ltd (PokerStars.fr): poker

Electraworks SAS (PartyBets.fr , GameBookers.fr, PartyPoker.fr, ActPoker.fr, LuckyJeux.fr): poker, sportsbetting

Gaming Iliad SAS (Chilipoker.fr): poker

Partouche Gaming France SAS (Partouche.fr): poker

Party Gaming announced its success in achieving licensing, noting that it now has authority to operate online poker and sports betting websites for residents in France. The group can offer sports betting immediately and will offer poker on Partypoker.fr/ when the market is opened, which is expected to be later this month.

The group is to launch five French-facing networks and sites involving Party Poker and its Party Bets and Gamebookers sports betting brands, along with the LuckyJeux.fr domain, its poker partnership with PMU.

Party Gaming's statement reminded the market that it has previously signed three exclusive B2B deals this year to form a significant French poker network with PMU, the country's largest pari-mutuel horse racing company, AB Groupe, a leading TV broadcaster, and Aviation Club de France, one of France's most prestigious card rooms and private members clubs. This network will now benefit from pooled poker player liquidity that will be provided by Partypoker.fr/