"The French Out Bet the British When It Comes To Internet Betting "

The facts are finally in and results show that actually the French spend more time at online Internet gambling sites than do the British. This was reported by Nielsen/NetRatings. According to Nielsen/NetRatings’ February figures, there are over 22 percent of the French population enjoying online gambling sites, spending over an hour betting. This number is approximately three times higher than that for the average UK online gambler. The report also states that the French have twice as many sessions online as do their UK counterpart.

For Britain the figures reported show that a smaller, but still impressive, 14% of the population access online gambling sites on a monthly basis. While this figure is not as large as the percentage for the French population, it still represents a 45 percent increase over the previous year.

A main factor that propels popularity among the French population toward Internet gambling is that it allows them to avoid state controlled betting (Pari Mutuel Urbain or PMU). The National Lottery betting, betting on horse races, and lotto, are all state controlled in France. Casinos are only permitted in certain towns that have special status. Only through Internet gambling sites are the French given the freedom to gamble however they please. If not for this opportunity they would not be able to do it.

It is a common argument that the Internet gambling rage is the result of increased access to broadband technology. While it is undoubtedly a major contributing factor, it is not the solitary cause. If you were only considering France, it might be reasonable to come to this conclusion. After all, about 85 percent of those connected to the Internet have broadband. But if you look at Sweden, you have a nation where online gambling is also enormously popular, but only 56 percent of Internet gamblers are linked by broadband.

In the UK the figure for broadband connection of those using online gambling sites is approximately 75%. The current trend suggests that if this continues, the percentage of the UK populace who are playing online while soon surpass that of the U.S. The figure for the United States is currently something like 20 million people who are placing bets on Internet gambling sites. In Europe, that figure is at approximately 14 million.