The largest and most successful French land casino group, part of the Lucien Barrière family launched their new online portal Le Croupier.com earlier this year, on the English market. UK players are now able to try a new gambling website bearing the French name for The Dealer. It is an extremely innovative casino that turns the online experience on its head, since it is a three-dimensional representation of the famous Casino de Deauville, owned by the Barrière group. This technological visual and acoustic marvel of sound and graphics, took the teamwork of 80 professionals พนันบอล to fine-tune, and a budget amounting to 15 million.
The UK market for starters
British punters will be the first to be able to test this site, before even their French counterparts. In fact, the executive management within the Barrière group do not plan to make the casino available, even in free mode, to the French market until the legal barriers have been taken down, which will allow the virtual casino to operate in full legality เว็บพนันบอล within French borders. Until then, they are intent on letting the anticipation bubble up into a frenzy. This British launch is also seen as a test. The Barrière Group will be eager to learn how to operate in a country where their online activity is legal. The company is working under the watchful eye of the LGA (Lotteries and Gaming Authority) of Malta which has issued them a European online gaming license. The business plan is to attract 20,000 members by the end of 2009, representing only 1% of the UK market. Le Croupier has been put to the test by a sample of players to improve and bring it as close as possible to the perfect online experience.
Presentation of the online casino
The Barrière Group gambling site has all the cards stacked in its favor. The first of these qualities is the use of innovative sound, hailing somewhat of a revolution in the industry. This brings a whole new player experience to the online arena as the software is three-dimensional. Hence, your avatar can move from table to table, from Baccarat to Roulette, to Blackjack or choose to play the slot machines, similarly to a character from Second Life. This option is a true leap forward, both from a technological standpoint as well as conceptual. You are able to earn loyalty points and change your character during the game. Furthermore, selected tables are private, allowing you to meet and play with friends for the duration of a game. Le Croupier is first and foremost an online casino with plans to grow with its clientele to offer a virtual poker room. Sports betting is also being considered as a future option. The Barrière group seems determined to extend its land-based experience and domination into the virtual online arena in an attempt to take the lion’s share of the European online gaming market which has so far eluded them.
Barrière by the book
Taking a totally different approach to its direct French competitor, the Partouche Group, Lucien Barrière’s company has opted to work within the strict guidelines of the legal framework. The former launched an online poker and sportsbetting site on the French market where this is still prohibited by law, operating under a license from Gibraltar that does not allow to operate on the French market, putting them in an awkward legal position and attracting the animosity of the online gaming community. The conquest of the web by the Barrière Group, having started with the UK market will raise concern among competing French groups, given the innovation and quality of the new site, and by the very fact that it is operating in total legality.
Laurent Durand is a member of the writing and editing team of Le Guide Casino
