In a story to gladden the hearts of all French poker players, the Daily Telegraph has reported that French Députés (members of parliament) including ministers have been caught on camera playing poker on their iPads and tablet computers during political debates.
The UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper is not a hotbed of francophilia and delights in the fact that many of those caught were “taking online poker bets, reading adult cartoons, perusing online clothes catalogues or placing an order for fine wines from their favourite sites.”
The revelation comes after photographs of iPad screens were taken by journalists sitting in the balconies above the debating chamber.
The discovery has produced calls for the free wifi access to be switched off inside the Chamber of Deputies. The option to scramble signals inside the Chamber was installed by the previous centre right Speaker, Jean-Louis Debré. The new Socialist Speaker, Claude Bartolone, has adopted a more liberal approach.
The high rates of taxation threaten the existence of online poker in France and are negatively impacting the associated tax revenues.
Liberté, égalité, fraternité are famously the foundations of France’s social model. French poker players may not have the freedom to play on sites not regulated in France and may be taxed at a higher rate than any other players in Europe but at least they now know that they have the fraternité of their elected representatives.
