Along with the gambling legislation bills in Ireland and Norway, the issues the French gambling industry is experiencing and the problematic poker affairs in Italy, it seems like Spain is the next European country to make reforms and refine the current rules and regulations.
The topic about the amenities, that need to be implemented, has been discussed over the previous couple of months and according to the experts, Spain is about to officially impose the changes in the law really soon.
The latest announcement the Spanish regulators made, concerns the licenses that will be issued to a number of gaming operators that would like to provide their products and services on the territory of the country. The authorities will have the final say and only the most reliable applicants will obtain a license to operate on the regulated gambling market.
The decision for allowing the gambling sector in the country to expand has not been randomly taken though. The authorities predict that if the local gambling sector develops as rapidly as expected, the country’s economy will greatly benefit from it. The regulators, however, made it clear that licenses will be issued to those providers who would like to concentrate their efforts on developing the online slots and the casino games.
Several market analysts have come to the conclusion that there is an underlying reason behind the decision of the Spanish authorities to boost the gambling industry. Those who keep themselves informed about the Spanish gambling affairs probably remember that the authorities were reluctant to let the gambling sector grow let alone to issue licenses to the providers.
However, there is another side of the coin and the market analysts presumed that the main reason for the latest actions was the fact that the Spanish economy is currently experiencing serious setbacks and the Government is trying its best to preserve it from further downfall.
The regulators expect many applicants for the upcoming competition for obtaining a license. Those providers that are currently available on the Spanish gambling market are also allowed and even encouraged to apply.
As a matter of fact the Spanish gambling industry is struggling and the decision of the authorities to allow more gambling operators provide their services comes at a fateful for the local industry moment. An overall decline of 6% was reported. As for the poker sector, the revenue for 2014 is relatively smaller. A downfall of more than 8% marked the cash game income. In other words, the statistics show that the Spanish gambling industry is struggling.
According to Eduardo Morales-Hermo, a gaming expert and analyst, approximately 10 of the applicants will acquire a license. The new providers will be warmly welcomed by the members of The Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling. The latest surveys show that 12% of the Spanish-based players participate in gambling activities on the unregulated markets and now they will be provided with the chance to legally enjoy their favorite games. Needless to say, the other goal of the DGOJ authorities is legalizing the gambling activities with the aim of reducing the negative impact of the grey markets.
