Top-rated eSports gambling sites in France

France is a beautiful country, renowned for good wine, classic cuisine, monumental architecture, and rich culture. It is also home to enthusiastic punters. The French Republic has a long history of gambling, with some of the most talked-about gaming arenas in the world.

French geniuses invented games such as roulette and cards. Local bettors can freely participate in online eSports betting without legal implications or paying taxes. The legalization of gambling in France has contributed to the growth of the eSports betting community.

Top-rated eSports gambling sites in France
Liam Fletcher
Written byLiam FletcherWriter
Researched byHaruki NakamuraResearcher
Localised byLiam O'SullivanLocaliser
Best Online Video Game Bookies in France 2023/2024

Best Online Video Game Bookies in France 2023/2024

If you want to wager on your favorite sports events and teams, start by signing up at one of the best eSports betting sites France. Funding the account should be a straightforward process if you use one of the payment methods featured on this page.

Our recommended betting platforms offer lucrative bonuses, reliable customer service, and user-friendly interfaces. But before you get there, learn the legal framework of gambling in France. You'll also find the most frequently asked questions about betting in France at the end of this guide.

Best Online Video Game Bookies in France 2023/2024
What are the top esports games in France?

What are the top esports games in France?

France ranks number seven in the top eSports markets in the globe. Recently, more eSports games have debuted. Below is a list of titles you'll always find in the best esports betting sites France.

FIFA

FIFA tournaments have been held for a long time. Today, FIFA is a popular eSport game in France and other countries. In 2019, the prize pool for the FIFA eWorld Cup hit $500,000. It is so big that football clubs worldwide work with famous athletes to represent FIFA in various eSports competitions. A good example is the PSG French club which collaborates with professional gamers in FIFA.

Call of Duty

CoD is a big eSports game, solely played on consoles (PS4 and PS5). The best part of CoD is that it changes to a new version every year. The latest form of CoD is Vanguard and was released on November 5, 2021. Call of Duty: Vanguard takes players back to World War II through the experiences of heroic soldiers from different continents and fateful scenarios that united them.

Overwatch

Overwatch is an action shooter game that appeared on the list of online eSports betting immediately after its release. The first Overwatch prize pool amounted to $300,000, with the first league appearing in Asia.

Soon it gained ground in France, and French players got a chance to participate in the first Overwatch World Cup in 2016. Three years later, the number of teams had already reached 20, and the total prize pool was $5 million.

That's not all. French players also love to bet on PUBG, Valorant, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO), Rocket League Betting, Rainbow Six Siege, Heroes of the Storm, Hearthstone, League of Legends, Fortnite, Smite, Dota 2, etc.

What are the top esports games in France?
Payment methods in France

Payment methods in France

While Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Skrill, and bank wire transfers are popular with gamblers, some local payment methods are more convenient for French players. Online eSports betting France couldn't be easier with the following.

  • Neosurf: eSports fans who don't want to risk their credit card information on gambling sites prefer Neosurf. This is a prepaid card designed for online payments and is available in over 50,000 stores across the globe. But it is more prominent in French-speaking countries such as France and Canada.
  • Klarna: With Klarna, eSports bettors are redirected to a checkout page to fund their wagers.
  • Apple Pay Wallet: It allows gamblers to fund their betting accounts with their credit/debit cards on desktop and in-app. Apple Pay scans the user's fingerprint or Face ID to authenticate the transaction.
  • FasterPay: The encrypted digital wallet allows punters to manage and transfer funds to online eSports sites. The transactions are instant on mobile.
  • Amazon Pay: Owned by Amazon, this e-wallet allows gamblers to transfer money from their credit or debit cards through their Amazon account. They do it without creating an additional account or leaving the eSports platform.
Payment methods in France
History of esports betting in France

History of esports betting in France

Betting in France started with the card deck in the early 1500s during Queen Catherine's reign. The invention of card games inspired many games of chance that are played today, e.g., blackjack and faro. The two games were also played in Britain and later in the US.

Thanks to the French people in Mississippi, this activity grew in popularity, spreading across America. In the 16th century, the state lottery was introduced in France and other European countries. Then in the 17th century, Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, invented the roulette wheel.

Unfortunately, the French government outlawed all forms of gambling in 1836. Underground horse betting was the only game of chance people could play freely. In 1842, two brothers (Francois and Lois Blanc) added a zero in Pascal's wheel to reinvent it.

This happened while the government was trying to regulate casinos and lotteries. But horse and sports betting dominated the industry. Sports betting in France remained dead-end until professional competitions in sports events began. At this point, anyone above 21 years was allowed to bet on sports.

History of esports betting in France
Esports nowadays in France

Esports nowadays in France

In the 1990s, slot machines were trending, and everyone would participate in spinning the reels. The French government saw the need to regulate the industry and reduced the minimum gambling age to 18 years. The regulation of online gambling remained a paradox for decades. But in 2001, Française des Jeux (FDJ), the national lottery operator, and Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU), which organizes horse races, were licensed to run their services online.

The two bookmakers were categorized under sports and horse racing. Other betting sites were labeled illegal. Thankfully, an amendment of French laws in 2009 finally legalized online sports betting. Citizens could bet on their favorite sports and horse races on numerous sites that opened shortly.

Today, there are hundreds of sports betting halls across the country. Land-based betting complexes are limited to specific areas and can operate for a particular duration. In conjunction with the Ministry of the Interior, the Budget Minister oversees sports betting, lotteries, and horse race betting. Sites with live gaming are subject to licensing.

Fantasy sports betting is the only type of gambling that's prohibited. In addition to the sports ministry, specific commissions have been mandated to control betting operations. For instance, Francaise de Jeux monitors lotteries and sports betting while Le Pari Mutuel Urbain regulates horse racing. Illegal gambling is prosecuted by the Sous Direction des Courses et des Jeux, a special police department.

Esports nowadays in France
Future of esports betting in France

Future of esports betting in France

Given that eSports betting France is regulated, a license is all that's needed to start a betting site. Nevertheless, eSports providers are highly taxed, making it hard for small companies to survive. This means, only credible operators provide this form of gambling in France.

Even though the number of licensed eSports platforms in the country is low, French punters don't have to limit themselves to local providers. There are countless international websites offering eSports betting. Players can use VPNs to bypass geographical restrictions. A VPN hides a player's IP address when accessing a foreign site. This is a common practice among avid sports bettors from France.

The number of eSports players from France is not slowing down as there's no sign of punters abandoning their leisure activity. We can only expect an upsurge in the sports betting community, which will automatically lead to more online platforms popping up. The eSports sector is still in the inception stage.

Only time can tell how it will thrive. The last few decades have hinted at exponential growth in the coming years. Popular sporting events such as the World Cup are shaping the betting industry. The government of France can expect to amass more revenue from online sports betting activities in the future.

Future of esports betting in France
E-gaming legislation in France

E-gaming legislation in France

The legislators decided to exclude typical casino games from sports betting because they are considered addictive. The high tax on sports betting (8.5%) makes it harder for investors to introduce more gambling complexes. The deductions cause a relatively higher rake and consequently reduce winning odds. It is, for this reason, many providers leave the market.

Again, the Gambling Act forbids sharing player pools with an international audience. This means French punters can only play with their fellow countrymen in offline betting shops. As a result, licensed providers face liquidity issues because they rely on a restricted local player pool. Higher taxes and a limited player pool cause many French players to explore offshore gambling.

Betting acts in France

France upholds a Christian-Catholic tradition, which explains the general ban on games of chance, as per the Homeland Security Code Article L.320-1. However, a few exemptions have been made over the years to permit certain forms of gambling, such as sports betting. The French gambling laws were revised by the Ordinance of October 2, 2019. This legislation was issued after the reform of PACTE (Action Plan for Growth and Transformation of Enterprises).

Today, online eSports betting is controlled by the Decree 2010-483, enacted on May 12, 2010. The law states that players can only bet on particular sports, results, and competitions directed by L'Autorité Nationale des Jeux, the gaming regulator (ANJ). They can add new sports games after consulting with various sports organizations.

The French law declares that sports event organizers have rights on the kind of competitions they can coordinate. Sports betting companies can only provide bets on games and matches they have agreed with the sports organizers.

Also, licensed eSports operators can only organize bets if they meet the conditions stipulated in Decree 2010-614, enacted on June 7, 2010. On October 14, 2014, the French Supreme Administrative Court confirmed ANJ's decision to cancel bets on game results as even/uneven numbers.

E-gaming legislation in France
FAWs

FAWs

What are eSports?

eSports are video games that provide a basis for highly organized tournaments between professional teams and players.

What eSports are popular with French players?

It all comes down to personal preferences and how much time a French player is willing to invest in betting. However, avid eSports players in France opt for games with higher prize pools. CS: GO leads in terms of prize pool size, total bets, and viewership. Dota 2 and League of Legends (LoL) follow closely.

Are eSports legal in France?

Yes, eSports are legal. They were officially recognized as national sports in the year 2016.

Are there free eSports games for French players?

Many mobile eSports are available in free mode. Popular free eSports are Fortnite, CS: GO, Dota 2, League of Legends, and Apex Legends.

What do you need to play for real money with eSports?

You need to place a monetary deposit at the site. Then you can buy game features such as weapons, skins, gold, and heroes to gain an edge over counterparts.

Do eSports qualify as real sports?

Esports games are not traditional sports. They are classified as sports only because they are highly competitive, involving strategic skills, physical fitness, quick reflexes, and mental sharpness.

FAWs
About the author
Liam Fletcher
Liam Fletcher

Liam "CyberScribe" Fletcher, a Kiwi with a flair for fast-paced gameplay and articulate narratives, has emerged as a prominent voice at EsportRanker. Diving deep into the esports universe, Liam crafts comprehensive reviews, strategic insights, and captivating tales from behind the screens.

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