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The discrimination against foreign online casino operators came to the forefront last night as French soccer club Olympique Lyonnais upset world power Real Madrid. Lyon forced a 1-1 tie with Read Madrid in the Champion League match, putting them ahead of Madrid in aggregate goals.
Critics, including the team, say that kind of upset may not be possible in the future if French teams are forced to operate at a competitive disadvantage forced through the country’s gambling laws. The law prohibits Lyon to accept sponsorship from gaming operators. Madrid is sponsored by Bwin, which brings them a huge influx of cash and popularity from advertising revenue. Lyon was sponsored by BetClic but is forbidden to advertise the Internet gambling site until French laws concerning online casinos are changed.
The Lyon soccer club was reeling over the irony of the game. There has been a draft law to regulate and license online casino gambling before the World Cup, but Lyon is calling for action now.
“Olympique Lyonnais is now faced with the fact that we cannot display our sponsor’s logo in a country which legally allows this type of publicity, and during a match where the main competitor of BetClic appeared on the shirts of Real Madrid!” according to a statement released by the club. “Olympique Lyonnais questions the exact motivation for these media-related and financial restrictions which impede the French champions in their search for competitiveness.”
BetClic isn’t allowed to sponsor a club or advertise in any way in France until the gaming company is licensed. New regulations opening the French gambling market are in session, but French lawmakers are resisting calls by EC examiners to amend the rules to allow free competition as required by the European Treaty.
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