Unibet, founded in 1997, is one of the largest online gambling operators in the European market, with over one and a half million customers worldwide. Unibet (International) Ltd is registered in Malta and is a subsidiary of Unibet Group plc. In 2004 the company listed on Stockholmsbörsen’s O-list. The International Cycling Union awarded the Swedish ProTour Team Unibet.com a licence for the period 2007-2010, but this has not prevented the organisers of the French Tour de France from banning the cycling team from this year’s event.

Unibet has described the French decision as a scandal, as the team qualified for the Tour. Apparently the company was told that if it removed all logos from clothing and equipment and the team was not named as the Unibet team it would be allowed to compete, just as it had a few months before in Marseille. Now the Unibet team has been banned by the Amaury Sports Organisation because on-line betting is illegal in France and Unibet is not registered there.

The main sponsor of the Tour de France is the French horse racing monopoly Pari Mutuel Urbain and the lottery operator La Francaise des Jeux is also sponsoring the race. Unibet says that the European Union market commissioner Charlie McCreevey has written to Amaury Sports Organisation to object to the decision to ban the Unibet cycling team. The organisers claim merely to be obeying French Law.

The authorities in France have already come under attack from the European Union for restrictive practices, as the country offers online betting through its two monopoly state gaming companies. Ironically, it is estimated that the French gamble at online casino operations operated offshore twice as often as the British, and for longer sessions. Most of France has no access to land-based casino action, which explains the popularity of online gambling.

It is still hoped that the Tour de France organisers will relent and allow the Swedish team to compete, even though it may lose the Unibet corporate identity. Unibet says the most important thing is for the team to be allowed to race so as not to damage the careers of the cyclists. The Tour de France is the most important event on the cycling calendar. (E-06.19.07)

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