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It is a known fact that for many decades, the ultimate symbol of style and elegance in gambling has been the French Riviera. Hollywood has perpetuated the image and films like the James Bond series etc. that have been filmed in and around the Riviera have remained popular with moviegoers all over the world. Paris itself may not have any casinos of its own, but enthusiasts have for long made their way to these exotic locations in southern France to have their gambling fill. The most popular French casinos outside of the Riviera are to be found in Nice, Cannes and Monte Carlo.
Most Popular Destinations
It is an interesting fact that there are close to 200 casinos that operate all around France. Not just mainland France, French casinos are also popular in some of its overseas territories such as Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion.
In France itself, apart from the most famous ones listed above, there are casinos close to most of the largest cities. Gamblers from Paris are in close proximity to Enghein-les-Bains, for example. Their other choice is to try the casinos on the Normandy coast, in the town of Deauville which is drivable distance. If you are in eastern France, you have the option to head to Annecy, which is close to Switzerland and is an impressive town by a lake. If you prefer a location on the French Alps, you will want to choose the casinos in the town of Megeve. On the western side, especially for those close to the Spanish border, you have the option of going to the casinos in Biarritz.
Gambling enthusiasts in the south have a lot of choice obviously, but the closest casinos if you are living in southwest France, especially for the city of Bordeaux, is to drive up to La Rochelle which is a coastal town.
Tourists coming from the UK are often seen to be headed to the casino in Calais, the major entry point for those crossing the English Channel via ferry.
Most of the French casinos are run by large hotel chains, but there is also an impressive number of smaller family run enterprises. They range from smaller restaurants, bars and cafes with slot machines thrown in to larger more opulent establishments.
In all, it is estimated that the size of the French casino industry is more than $3 billion and growing. Since the French government takes away 55% of this revenue as taxes etc., it is all the more incumbent on it to let this industry grow and prosper.
Online casinos are also catching on in France. Some of the more popular online gambling portals, such as online-new-jersey-casino, provide listings of online casinos based in France, in French. Gambling enthusiasts with little access to any of the casinos listed above can still enjoy French-style online gaming and slots by using the services of such portals. let-poker provides reviews of many French-based online gambling sites, making it easier for users to choose one that best meets their needs.
History and Current Status of French Casinos
The French casino industry was legalized in 2025, with the legalization of new casino games slot machines. Since then, business has boomed. By 2025, French casinos saw close to 63 million visits. While films and TV may appear to perpetuate the aura of stylized table games, it is the humble slot machine that makes more money for this industry today, which offers a of 5 reel slots. In French, the ubiquitous slot machine is called bandits manchots (one-armed bandits!). It is estimated that there are around 16,000 online sportsbooks slot machines in France.
Unlike Vegas or Atlantic City, many French casinos don't operate 24x7. Many shut table games and a winning casino for the night (usually early morning) and open around noon. This is France, after all!
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USA Players Please Note:
There are just a few quality online casinos available to USA players at this time. These
online casinos accept USA players and cater to them almost excusively:
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Mobile Casinos: iPhone, Android, More - No USA

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