France PMU to give fixed odds on sports bets

I for one am glad to see the French tote under pressure and offer fixed odds on sports bets

France's PMU to branch out into other sports


France: The Pari-Mutuel Urbain (off-course tote) is set to take bets on sports other than horseracing next year when the French online betting market is "opened up to competitors". not before time.

New PMU president Philippe Germond is ready to branch out into other markets in time for the World Cup in South Africa.

"We will be turning the opening up of the betting market into an opportunity rather than a menace," said Germond.

"We will be offering to our clients at least the equivalent to any future competitors." Punters will have the opportunity to bet on football and probably other sports like tennis, cycling and rugby, all of which are popular in France.

Germond expects it to be a tough battle with future opposition from other bookmaking concerns, and is well aware of their professionalism in the betting business and marketing their products.

France's online betting market accounts for about seven per cent of total betting turnover - but that figure is growing all the time.

Legislation has still to go through both the lower and upper houses of the French parliament, but once this is done other operators can apply for a licence, although it is estimated that things will not get under way until April 2010 at the earliest.

Anyone taking bets on racing must use a mutuel system and return eight per cent of turnover back to the sport.

However, bets on other sports will be taken on a fixed-odds basis.

Would hate to be a punter in france,sure they are geo blocked?

Friend told me once he new a frog that used to channel hop to punt french racing antepost and soccer..