Betfair, the world's biggest internet betting exchange has been forced to stop providing services in France due to an amendment to the online gambling laws. The change makes it illegal for Betfair to enter into the French market legally which could cost the company a lot of money.

Any betting exchange that allows punters to bet is no longer included in the new legislation to legalize and regulate online gambling in France. Betfair feel that the new amendment is wrong and may seek to be included in the legislation.

"We will consider our position. It is fairly clearly discriminatory against the biggest and most competitive online operator in Europe," Betfair Managing Director Mark Davies said. "It is a slap in the face for the consumer."

There has been a growing concern in France over the amount of betting scandals and match fixing recently happening in Europe. Several heads of sports leagues have shown their support for keeping the corruption out. One reason for the amendment was a 2007 report which stated that 9.9% of punters that used betting exchanges like the kinds offered by Betfair, develop gambling addictions.

What the report doesn't say is that these types of bets odds are on average 15% better than fixed-odds bookmakers. This means more money for the punter and the bookmaker. This type of betting bears a strong resemblance to the Stock Exchange.

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