“For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”
Shortly after New Zealand made news with their judicial support of online poker, the French government has passed new gaming laws which have forced PokerStars to bar the country’s messieurs and madams from their international servers.
It’s physics, people, just like running into a brick wall. Thanks, Newton, you jerk.
While the people of France will be unable to face players from other nations, they will still, according to some reports, be able to participate in real money games on PokerStars.fr. This service will be similar to that found at Italy’s PokerStars.it.
Simply put, this transition will force French players to pay higher rake, which will in turn allow PokerStars to pay the French government’s licensing fee. Players will also be charged a 2% tax for every winning pot.
The consequences of PokerStars’ acquiescence are as of yet unknown. PartyGaming has also made a similar move, baring French nationals while they seek to obtain a government license to operate the proposed PartyPoker.fr.
Full Tilt Poker, so far, has managed to remain open to French citizens seeking international competition.
Stay tuned for further updates, as the story develops.