Poker in France

Is online poker legal in France?

Yes. France regulated online poker in May 2010 under law 2010-476, creating ARJEL (Autorité de Régulation des Jeux En Ligne), which became ANJ (Autorité Nationale des Jeux) in June 2020. 14 operators hold active online poker licenses including Winamax, PokerStars.fr, partypoker.fr, Bwin.fr, and Unibet.fr. French players must register on .fr domains — international .com sites block French IPs.

What is the player pool segregation issue?

From 2010-2017, French players could only play against other ANJ-licensed account holders — a 'ring-fenced' pool that shrank traffic. In January 2018 France, Spain, and Portugal launched shared liquidity via a multilateral pact, letting players across the three regulators compete on the same tables. Italy joined in 2018 but later pulled out. The combined .fr/.es/.pt pool covers roughly 100M people but still excludes the global .com pool.

What are the best French online poker sites?

Winamax dominates with 60%+ French market share — French-owned (founded 2003), strong tournament series including SISMIX, Winamax Series, and the European Poker Cup. PokerStars.fr runs the Sunday Special and FCOOP (France Championship of Online Poker). partypoker.fr, Bwin.fr, and Unibet.fr round out the top tier. All accept EUR via Carte Bancaire, Paysafecard, and bank transfer.

Are poker winnings taxed in France?

Generally no for amateurs. France treats recreational poker as a game of chance for tax purposes — casual amateur winnings are tax-free, a major advantage over the US, UK, and most of Europe. Professional players (those who derive their primary income from poker, play habitually, and use skill systematically) are taxed as self-employed under BNC (bénéfices non commerciaux). The line between amateur and pro has been litigated multiple times in French tax courts.

Who are the top French poker pros?

Bertrand 'ElkY' Grospellier — 4 EPT titles, $25M+ in live earnings, former StarCraft pro turned poker legend. Antoine Saout — 2009 WSOP Main Event 3rd place ($3.48M), three more WSOP final tables. Adrien Allain — multiple WPT and EPT cashes. Other notable French pros: Sylvain Loosli, Davidi Kitai (Belgian but plays France often), and Manuel Bevand. France produced one of Europe's deepest pro fields after 2010 regulation.