Warning over “illegal” ad campaigns in France
France’s Budget Minister, Eric Woerth, has reportedly warned that any advertising of online gaming sites remains illegal until the new legislation is implemented.
The notification emerged after the release of recent advertising campaigns including the one from operator BetClic.
As per the current developments shared by Gaming Intelligence, BetClic has already started its advertising campaign on radio.
Unibet has signed a partnership with French radio station Radio Monte Carlo to sponsor a new programme called `Les Paris RMC’. The estimated €1 million contract will run during 2009 with an option to extend into 2010. Unibet has also invested a further €1 million into the development of a reality TV programme on sports and poker.
In an interview with France’s Le Figaro, Isabelle Parize, MD of Mangas Gaming, said that the company was aware of Woerth’s objections to the marketing activities currently underway.
“We have been waiting for months now,” said Parize. “The bill was presented to the Council of Ministers in March and we are effectively in a pre-liberalisation phase. We cannot sit waiting with our arms crossed while FDJ is accelerating its marketing activities, launching new games and entering into new partnerships.
Since the announcement of the liberalisation last summer, Woerth has repeated several times that the opening of the online gambling market will be controlled. In other words, it means that the opening will be limited and that gambling operators will have to satisfy a large number of specifications to obtain a licence.
