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Before 1890, a tax indication for playing-cards in France was shown on the shield ('bluteau') of the Jack of Clubs of the 'portrait officiel', as you can see it on the card on the right. The changes there were accompanied by changes of the paper watermark and/or the ring around the suit-sign on the Ace of Clubs. (scanned by Pascal Pette)

	This is a design introduced in 1813. The text is 'ADMINIST. DES DROITS REUNIES' ('administration of united taxes' (?)), and the date '1813'. In the middle of the shield you may notice the name of the designer of the 'portrait officiel', 'GATTEAUX'. (scanned by Pascal Pette)
	This is the design as on the card above, introduced in 1816. The text is 'ADMINIST. DES CONTRIB. INDIR.' ('administration of indirect taxes'), and the date '1816'. (scanned by Pascal Pette)
	This design was in use from 1827. The text is the same, but the date has changed to '1827'. (scanned by Pascal Pette)
	This design was introduced in 1850. The text is again the same, the date has changed to '1850'. (scanned by Pascal Pette)
	This final design was introduced in 1853. The text is still the same, the date has changed to '1853'. This design of the Jack of Clubs was kept even when tax stamps on playing-cards were introduced in France.

Stamps for playing-card taxes were used in France from 1890 to 1945.

	This stamp was in use in France from 1890 to 1917, and from 1922 to 1940. The text is 'RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE' and 'DÉCRET DU 12 AVRIL 1890'.
	This is an identical stamp stamp in red colour. It was in use from 1896 to 1940 (with a short interruption from 1917 to 1922) for packs that were intended for casinos.
	This is an example with both the blue and the red stamp.
	This stamp was in use in France from 1917 to 1920. The text is 'RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE', and 'DÉCISION MINISTÉRIELLE DU 3 FÉVRIER 1917'.
	This is an identical stamp in red colour, also in use from 1917 to 1920. This colour was for packs for use in casinos, as above. (scanned by Christian de Ryck)
	This stamp was in use in France from 1920 to 1922. The text is 'RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE', and 'DÉCISION MINISTÉRIELLE DU 20 SEPTEMBRE 1920'.
	This is an identical stamp in red colour, also in use from 1920 to 1922. This colour was for packs for use in casinos, as above. (scanned by Pascal Pette)
	This is again the stamp shown above, with the decree of 12 April, 1890, here used in 1939. The specialty is that an additional imprint shows that the cards were exclusively intended for the French troups on the battlefield ('A L'USAGE EXCLUSIF des TROUPES en CAMPAGNE'), and they were tax exempted ('Franchise de l'Impôt').
	This stamp was in use in France from 1940 to 1944. The text is 'ÉTAT FRANÇAIS', 'CONTRIBUTIONS INDIRECTES', and 'FRANCE'. (scanned by Hjalmar)

The stamp was on the Ace of Clubs for French-suited cards and on the Two of Swords for Latin-suited cards.

Besides the stamps on the cards, thin paper bands (bandes de côntrole) on the packaging were used from 1798 to 1945.

This is a typical example in use from 1926 to 1938. It is for the 'PORTRAIT ÉTRANGER' (which means mostly cards with the Belgian-Genoese or a similar pattern) for 'JEUX DE CARTES ORDINAIRES'. Note the 'Impôt' before the value, that was introduced in 1904.

You can see more French tax bands on my French tax bands page.

Additional information
For some time, Algeria was a part of France. There were special tax regulations during part of that time, see the Algeria page.
You might want to have a look at the Indochina page with tax bands from the time as a French colony.
There were 'French' tax stamps used in Syria and Lebanon when those countries were under French mandate after WWI. You can see them on those pages.