There was some welcomed good news for UK based online gambling sites this week as the French Government promised to open its market to online gaming.

French Budget Minister Eric Woerth said a law authorising online gambling will probably be passed by the end of 2009.

The French government has yet to decide on how to tax the online companies, Mr Woerth added. The government currently gets €5bn from levies on private casino operators and a state-owned company with a monopoly on lotteries and sports betting, Mr Woerth said.

The draft bill designed to open the gambling market to competition and legalise online betting was drawn up to comply with EU anti-monopoly rules.

Mr Woerth met with the European Union's (EU's) internal markets commissioner Charlie McCreevy last week in order to prevent the EU taking action against France for restricting internet gambling. ? ?It is hoped casino games such as poker, roulette and blackjack will be opened up by any deal - with Mr Woerth citing the second half of 2009 as the date operations can begin from the country. ?

"Proceedings against France for our monopoly as regards online betting have been open since June 2007. In these circumstances, either we dig in our heels or we change our position," he told the news agency. ?

The minister was referring to the fact that the EU had given France a final warning about changing its gambling rules, threatening the country's government with court action if nothing was done.

With time on their hands British online sites will now work to adapt their games for the French market.

The development is a welcomed respite for the sector here after news that Caribbean licenced websites are now legally allowed to advertise in the UK.

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