New French Legislation Sparks Revolt Against PokerStars.fr

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Monday, 12 July 2010 - 22:26 New French Legislation Sparks Revolt Against PokerStars.fr

Last June, France passed new regulations forcing online gaming sites to require a licence to operate in the country. Pokerstars was one of many operators who had to comply with the new rules and with immediate response they set up Pokerstars.fr, solely for French players.

However, this new legislation has also brought new government taxes and Pokerstars decided to pass these extra costs on to the players, leading to huge rake increases on the site. Now hundreds of poker players in France are boycotting Pokerstars in protest against these new laws.

Many have taken seats at the tables, but they have all chosen to sit out, meaning no cards are being dealt and no rake is being made. Some players are sitting out on over 20 tables and sharing their hatred of the new French policies via the chat window.

Founder of PokerStars, Isai Scheinberg, said that their French site is losing money for the company. Scheinberg plans to release figures showing how Pokerstars is not generating revenue in France and is also looking to meet with the French gaming regulatory board, ARJEL. Scheinberg hopes that they could discuss the hefty taxes that have been forced upon the site and maybe strike up a new deal.