National Regulatory System Preferred

The current gambling policy in Spain where autonomous provinces can offer licensing agreements could be replaced by a more cohesive nation-wide system as early as next year, with taxes being shared by the provincial regions and the central government.

e-Gaming Review, the gaming publication, reported this week that the debate occupied a prominent place on the agenda at the quarterly meeting between federal and regional betting and gaming authorities in Barcelona earlier this week. Senior representatives from the LAE (the National Gaming Commission), the Spanish tax authorities, the Home Affairs Ministry, the Ministry of Industry and the gaming offices of each of Spain’s 17 regions were involved in the deliberations.

A betting and gaming law specialist at the Spanish firm Legal Link, Xavier Munoz, told EGR that the equitable distribution of any taxes flowing from a regulatory regime, advertising controls, compatibility with European Union laws and the protection of vulnerable player groups was uppermost in the minds of delegates. With regard to the latter, a central registry of self-excluded and excluded problem players was suggested, with a requirement for licensed operators to access this database to ensure problem gamblers remained barred. The strict enforcement of a future regulatory regime, along with the prosecution of anyone operating in the Spanish market without authority was regarded as important.

These discussions herald a new era in Spanish online gambling, with a firm commitment to regulation rather than prohibition that will presumably be followed by detailed consultation and a drafting process that could see a system in place by 2009.

Along with the French moves to open up formerly restricted markets, the Spanish decision has to be regarded as a significant new development for the industry. It was decided that the federal and regional authorities will next meet again during the autumn months, by which time the drafting process should be in progress.

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