At first reading, members of the Parliament voted by 48 votes to 12, the article of the draft law that allows the transfer to the private sector of the majority of the capital of the FDJ, is currently owned 72% by the State, the latter to keep “at least” 20% of the units, according to the Economy minister Bruno Le Maire.
The JDF holds in France the monopoly of the games of draw and scratch. The text maintains this monopoly for a limited period of 25 years. It also poses the principle of a recast of the regulation of games of money and chance by orders, the latter must precede the privatization.
The Assembly had earlier given the green light to the State to proceed with the sale of all or part of the assets that it holds in Aéroports de Paris (ADP). These transfers, to which must be added to the assets of Engie (ex-GDF) must be used to feed a fund of € 10 billion for the disruptive innovation.
The Mayor was assured that the government intended to “better regulate” the game, but was held to “disconnect completely” this aspect of the privatization. It has been observed that the games had “exploded”, while the company was public, with an increase of over 64% of turnover in ten years.”
There will be a regulatory authority “fully independent”, but at least in a first time, the casinos will remain under the authority of the ministry of Interior, said the minister, while the elected representatives lobbied to enshrine in law a single authority.
The JDF, in which the privatisation is not expected before 2019, has recorded € 15.1 billion of bets by 2017. The State awarded each year more than three billion euros collected on the bets of the 26 million players, a manna that will be maintained.
Source: GMB/ Kozpost.com
