France Stops the WPT's Grand Prix de Paris

If you are planning to participate in the Grand Prix Poker Championship tournament at the Aviation Club de France on May 6, 2007, don't worry as it will still be pushed through. But if you are a poker player that is hoping to make it at the final poker table televised by the World Poker Tour, better luck next time. On April 16, 2007, the officials of the World Poker Tour said that they are unable to negotiate France's difficult gaming laws with enough time to proceed with the taping of the event.

In a statement, the World Poker Tour reiterated their commitment to the Charter Member Casino and the Aviation Club and is hoping to resume WPT sanctioned poker events in France. The country's reluctance in allowing the event to be televised this year is beginning to look like a familiar situation. Earlier this year, the European Poker Tournament was forced to cancel their French debut in Deauville because of the intervention by authorities in France.

Previously, both the EPT and the WPT have held poker tournaments in France but the actions of the officials regarding gaming, especially online gaming and poker has taken a nasty turn since then.

It is widely believed that the EPT, which is sponsored by Poker Stars and the WPT do not concur with the restrictive gaming regulations of France that prohibit any form of online poker and even advertising conducted by any online gaming company aside from state owned gambling companies, Francaise de Jew and PMU.

France has many opponents right now due to their strict online gaming regulations, but it is their ongoing row with the European Union which is attracting the attention of a lot of people right now.

In a decision back in 2003, known as the Gambelli ruling, the ECJ said that gambling falls in the category of the European Union's articles regarding the right to establishment and provide services. Under the European Union Treaty, France must permit fellow EU member states the same rights in online gaming activities as it gives to the state owned gaming companies.

May 13, 2007
John Tucker