Online gaming 'may be installed before World Cup'
People in France may soon be able to enjoy the fun of online casino gaming after the country's national assembly approved a bill to legalise the activity.
Authorities voted in favour of the pastime, although it will still have to be fully authorised by the EU before websites are set up and members can sign up for online slots or online blackjack, to name just a few of the great games that would be on offer.
It is thought that the emergence of legitimate online gambling websites in France will have an adverse effect on the illegal and unlicensed internet casino sites that are currently available. French budget minister Francois Baroin recently said that he believes "this text will allow us to progressively dry up the black market in online gambling by creating a legal offer which obeys the rules".
Hopes are high that the ban on online gambling in the country will be lifted in time for this year's FIFA World Cup. The football tournament is among the planet's top betting events and is expected to net bookmakers a large amount of money before kick-off in June.
However, there are still countries in Europe where online gambling is banned. Russian legislation passed in 2006 makes any form of betting that requires telecommunications technology against the law. Meanwhile, similar rules apply in the US in regards to both telephone and online sports gambling.