France Establishes Legal Definition For Being An Esports Player
Published: May 22, 2017 - Last Updated: Jan 30, 2023
The European nation has established an official definition for being an esports player. From now on, minimum and maximum terms for all player contracts in the country have a legislative basis.
France embraces esports as a vocation
France has been actively dealing with the industry for a while now. Last year, it amended a version of an existing law that differentiated esports from esports gambling. Included in the law, which governs a wide body of digital matters, is the regulation regarding contract establishment, visa status, and esports distribution.
There are roughly 850,000 professional and amateur esports players in France, and the viewer base is continuously expanding. These numbers, and the ongoing expansion of the industry globally, have contributed to France taking competitive gaming more seriously.
Potentially global trendsetting
With its progressive approach toward esports, France sets an example for other countries to follow. As the first Western nation to establish regulations on esports, France could become the trendsetter for major esports hubs like the US, Germany, and China.
There’s already been some activity in other countries on the legislative front. Enhanced regulation and oversight can, at this point, only help standardize and professionalize the industry.
South Korea and its esports regulating body KeSPA have also been active in the esports regulation game. The organization has monitored the Korean industry since 2000 in the first-ever country to implement regulation linked to esports.
The comparison to KeSPA in France is France Esports, a lobbying group that was instrumental in bringing about this recent legislation.
Could the Olympics be in sight?
With ongoing improvements to the structure and regulation of the industry, esports could soon be ripe for the Olympics. Granted, this idea has been around for a while now, but as the market gains popularity and credibility, it could soon become seen as a legitimate sport around the globe.
Image credit: xmo / Shutterstock.com
Since: September 12, 2015
