French Operator Pari Mutuel Urbaine Suspected in Unfair Competition

Renowned online gambling operator Betclic, running famous poker room Everest Poker and various other gambling destinations, claims Pari Mutuel Urbaine (PMU) is engaging in unfair competition practices.

The group, operating in full compliance with French gambling laws, has submitted an official claim with the French Competition Authority against PMU.

PMU is the current leader in horse race betting and online sportsbooks in France with 85 percent market share, says French regulator ARJEL. Zeturf is number two with 10 percent followed by a number of smaller operators holding only marginal market shares.

According to France gambling news, Betclic’s claim is just another take on the long-lasting debate about the unfair advantages PMU, the former French gambling monopoly, received in the new regulated online gambling market.

Back when the French market was opening up with the new regulatory regime, the European Gaming and Betting Association recommended that PMU must be compelled to use different branding than it used before. Also changes to the pooling of stakes on complex bets were recommended to be changes. Another aspect was that PMU’s deals with major French racetracks also had to be changed.

In the latest French online gaming market report, president of ARJEL, Jean-Francois Vilotte, noted that the gap between PMU and the rest of French gambling operators “is a problem of competition law”. He went on to state that he had forwarded these observations on to the Competition Authority.

It remains to be seen just how successful Betclic’s claim will be in the attempt to bring down the mighty PMU, which is still considering itself to be the monopoly mammoth of the French gambling market.