Casinos de France Demands “Hard Games Protections” on FDJ Sale

Casinos de France, the professional trade union organisation in France, has written to the En Marche government demanding that its planned sale of Francaise des Jeux (FDJ), the state-owned gambling/lottery operator, be undertaken on specific terms which do not hinder national casino incumbents.

The trade union states that FDJ’s sale must not include any terms allowing its buyer to service “Article-D (321-13)” games. Article-D games reference casino-style inventory and slots machines, making no clear distinction between land-based and digital verticals. Furthermore, these games are classified as hard content.

The governance of Casinos de France demands that its sale terms stipulate that the buyer of FDJ cannot service hard games content across FDJ terminals and its network of outlets. Casinos de France closes its statement by detailing that it will challenge any threat to France’s land-based casino sector.

“45,000 jobs including 15,000 direct, 60 million visitors, 500 cultural events supported financially, 350 bars and 300 restaurants in the casinos as well as 300 performance and reception halls employing 20,000 intermittent performers, 50 hotels, 35 discotheques, 34 bowling / cinemas, financial support and active development of tourism sector,” it said.