France - a history of gambling yesterday and today

At that time, all respectable people had to be gamblers. As a fashionable member of high society was described, he must necessarily have mastered the card game, playing cards at the highest level. Find out how casinos were treated then and how MGA online casinos are treated now!

How gambling developed in France in the past

In almost all fashionable novels of the time, the protagonists were certainly gamblers. The novel The Lady of the Camellias by Alexandre Dumas the son is a case in point. The habit of gambling became a sign of good taste, but it did not last long. Already in 1837 gamblers found themselves in an unenviable position - gambling houses were closed, but gamblers did not deny themselves the pleasure. Underground gambling houses appeared and were even more popular than when gambling was allowed. Gambling was once again destroyed by the state, the ban on gambling not only applied to the owners but also to the gamblers themselves, many of them left the country to avoid being prosecuted. Those gamblers who wanted to continue their game without hiding or risking punishment, opened establishments in neighbouring cities and countries. Thus the gambling club that Mr. Benazé opened in Baden-Baden is very well known. Gambling clubs started to open in small principalities in neighbouring Germany. The local authorities received a good income, so gambling houses appeared in Wiesbaden, Spa and other spa towns. This state of affairs suited both sides, gamblers and gamblers alike. But this period was also only temporary - from 1873 onwards, all forms of gambling were once again banned in Europe, leaving permission only in Monaco.

French gamblers were only allowed to play at certain resorts, while the number of games allowed decreased significantly. When the season closed, the owners of the gambling houses suffered losses, which made their business unprofitable and they themselves decided to close their enterprise. Revenues fell and there were fewer and fewer places to play. To defend the right to legalise gambling, hotel owners filed lawsuits complaining about the government's actions. This confrontation in the fight for gaming lasted more than twenty years.

Georges Clemenceau decided in 1907 to lift the ban on gambling. It is interesting to note that the law, which was signed by the French Minister of the Interior at the beginning of the last century, is still in force today, with some changes. After this decree, all gambling establishments located in the resorts were reopened and given legal status.

How is gambling business in modern France?

Modern sociological research that looks at the state of gambling in modern France has shown that French gamblers are in a record position.

• French authorities estimated that gamblers spent more than €86.5 daily. This result is several times higher than the daily spending of French gamblers in casinos even 2-3 years ago.
• According to sociologists, the French are interested in gambling because gambling has a calming effect. The surge of interest in gambling can be explained by the unstable state of the country's economy.

Despite this, French gamblers do not think so. Gamblers' interest in playing poker, online poker and other online entertainment is growing daily. Modern gamblers play the races and buy lottery tickets, one in three youngsters has an account in one of the online rooms. Poker and casinos have become such a familiar pastime that it is now impossible to imagine a time when it could have been severely punished. The treasury is making huge profits and the players are enjoying themselves immensely.

France fought for a long time to be able to play card games legally. As history has shown, the French proved to be the most determined players who fought for the right to gain access to the game for several centuries. Nowadays, it is hard to imagine major poker tournaments without professional players from France.