According to newspaper The Wall Street Journal, 17 licences 11 are by this time given out operators, including the foreign. The decisions made till now do not mention regulation in the field of online poker that, however, will occur till the end of June.

In France all lotteries are subordinated the state company Francaise des Jeux (FdJ) while activity of handbook men on jumps submits Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU). Independently there are private casinos by which the organisation of a roulette and gamblings, such, as poker is resolved.

However recently work of this harmonous system was essentially undermined by occurrence of the offshore companies which are engaged in gamblings and rates on the Internet. The state has tried to compete to them: in 2002 FdJ began to accept rates on sports scores in the Network. But the offshore companies pay taxes under lower rate, therefore the competition to them is ruinous. At volume of the French market of sports rates on the Internet estimated in 1 billion of euro, on a share of the state company it was necessary only 5 %.

In such situation the French authorities have decided to show flexibility and have gone by the way of Italy which grants licences to private bookmaker offices for work in the Network. Similar actions shortly expect from the authorities of Denmark and Spain.

Under forecasts, liberalisation of activity of handbook men on the Internet can double tax revenues the next three years.

It is necessary to notice that the French law has kept a barrier to one of the most profitable segments of the market – online roulettes; it on-prezhneu is forbidden. As to activity of handbook men in offline (namely they involve overwhelming majority of rates) here the state monopolies do not intend to unclench the embraces.