Deputy presents bill on bingos in casinos

On December 16 in Paris, Patrice Debray, the UMP deputy of Haute-Saône, officially presented his bill on the introduction of “small outlay-small winnings machines” (AMLG) in bars, hotels, restaurants and nightclubs.

For Debray, while there were 35,600 bars in France in December 2007, that is less than one per commune, the aim is to fight against the closing down of these establishments (3,500 per year since 2000) by supporting them financially.

Debray is campaigning with the Confédération française des professionnels en jeux Automatiques (CFA) for the introduction of AMLGs. From the fact that the European legislation will authorize the setting up of such games by 2011, he is proposing a text which would limit the installation of two machines per establishment, bets ranging between 0.25 and 4.50 euros, a redistribution rate of 90% and maximum winnings of 150 euros.

In order to limit addiction, the average hourly loss per machine would be 12.5 euros and only adults would be allowed to play. Finally, all bingos shall be linked by GPRS or modem to the customs services in order to control their activity from a distance. Thus, any risk of illegal embezzlement would be prevented. According to Debray, the monthly winning per machine for the operator and the salesman would be 2.000 euros. This would allow them, as it was the case with flippers and baby foot long ago, to pay their rent with the income generated from these games.

For now, Debray and the CFA did not have any contact neither with Française des Jeux, nor with the employers’ organizations of casinos. On the other hand, they met Mrs Alliot-Marie’s consultant. The deputy of Haute-Saône hopes that his text will be soon considered by the law commission and will then be examined by his colleagues during a parliamentary niche. Unless it is attached to the bill being prepared by the government on the opening of the online gambling sector to competition, at the end of March. He said that this is a possibility which has been mentioned by the Minister of Budget.

The deputy hopes that Eric Woerth will be responsive to the 4.000 jobs which could be created since the first year thanks to the installation of 100.000 machines, especially with the 300 million euros taxes they would generate.