French Poker Stars Strike Succeeds: More to Follow

Available in French (Courtesy of Google) Les joueurs de poker français arrêter de jouer pendant quatre heures sur PokerStars

French players gave hopes of a smooth transition to a new higher rake structure and segregated poker for French only players (regulated by the French Government) a blow this Sunday as they staged a 4 hour sit out (strike) at the tables on PokerStars (currently the World's largest online poker operator).

Many were frustrated that smaller rivals had absorbed part of the tax increase while they argue PokerStars had used the increased tax as and excuse to further increase rake in other areas. You can see photos of the strike in action as well as more commentary and discussion below.

French Players Banned from Pokerstars Sunday Million and Other WorldWide Tables

The official dot com for PokerStars is now closed to the French. After successfully gaining a license to operate a .fr domain the worlds largest poker room by cash game volume (and by most other measures you could think of) will be forced to remove French players from all it's international tables.

New French Law Blocks and Bans Major Poker Sites Including Cake Network

Une nouvelle loi française Poker: Poker interdits, Lire la suite...
As recently as a few weeks ago the GPWA reported that various locations around the World were considering seizing control of gaming within their borders to raise tax revenue. Various countries and provinces were named including Quebec.

Well one French speaking nation - France itself has made the first move taking steps to block dozens of major poker rooms from their border and increase the state control of gaming.

Due to the recent passage of a new French law all persons resident in France will no longer be allowed to access poker services and play for real money on any turnkey partner site which is part of the Cake Network. As of 4pm GMT, Friday April 9th, no French resident will be able to open a new real money account and any French resident who holds an existing account will not be allowed to play...
Power Poker Press Release Thursday 8th April

This move is a direct reversal of the moves in recent years to liberalise trade and gaming regulation across the world and on the internet. (Except in the most famous gaming nation of all the USA of course where the UIGEA has blighted the industry). It means that French Poker players are now banned from getting 33%+ rakeback on Power Poker as well as French Poker players now being blocked from a range of fantastic deals in favour of a heavily taxed, segregated and as a result smaller range of options which will remain in France.

This is truly a bad thing for French poker and a bad thing for the World poker scene as the large French poker market brought much liquidity to European Networks as well as the likes of Cake, and Power Poker who are US facing.