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HEADLINE: London's poker season ends in dramatic style

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The French parliament has approved a bill to regulate and legalize online gambling, including online poker. The new law is expected to come into force next year, and up to 100 operators are expected to apply for licenses.

In an unexpected twist, an amendment was added to the bill which stipulated that any company wishing to apply for a license must close their current French player accounts for six months before they can be licensed.

Another amendment means that only those online gambling operators that do not have subsidiaries or operations in tax havens (such as Gibraltar) can be considered for a license.

These stipulations will make it difficult for companies such as PartyPoker.com and bwin to enter the market and have come in for considerable criticism from within the gaming industry.

Eric Woerth, the budget minister who was the architect of the bill, believes around 50 sites will receive a license.

Operators such as Chilipoker are already jostling for position in the market by cutting deals with major French media and technology companies.

Online poker will be taxed at 2 percent under the new regime.

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