Spain’s consumer protection minister, Alberto Garzón, said Wednesday that he would press for his proposed near-total ban on gambling advertising to be imposed by October.
Minister Garzón’s comment came after the European Commission did not voice any objections to Spain’s plans to significantly restrict gambling ads.
It was this past February when the country’s Minister of Consumer Affairs unveiled his plans to clamp down on ads by gambling operators to make good on his campaign promise to protect gambling addicts and young people.
Spain’s online casino and sports betting market has flourished over the past decade and gambling websites have dwarfed the state-owned lottery. Minister Garzón promised earlier this year to reduce ads by online gambling operators by 80% and to put an end to celebrity endorsements, among other things.
It seems now that he could be just several months away from delivering on this promise.
Gambling Ads Restrictions Could Take Effect by October
Minister Garzón said Wednesday that he would push the Council of State to approve by September a Royal Decree restricting gambling advertising and that he believes the final approval by Spanish lawmakers could be secured by October.
Spain submitted its latest draft of the gambling ads Decree to the European Commission earlier this month. On Tuesday, the European Commission revealed that it had no issues with the proposed restrictions, paving the way for the draft Decree to go before the Spanish Council of State for final consideration.
Under the proposed changes in Spain’s gambling advertising rules, ads promoting gambling products and services on TV, radio, and online platforms would be limited to a four-hour window between 1 am and 5 am every day.
A previous draft of the Decree permitted gambling ads during sporting events, but the latest version of the yet-to-be-enforced legislation removed that exception.
Gambling sponsorships of sports teams, leagues, and events will also be banned under the proposed changes. This means that gambling branding will be removed from sports arenas, sports jerseys, and other teamwear.
Online casino and sports betting operators are facing limits on bonus offers, including a ban on welcome bonuses and an upper limit for bonus offers that would be determined by the Spanish gambling regulator, DGOJ.
Celebrity endorsements of gambling products and services will be prohibited, as well.
EGBA Slams Looming Ads Crackdown
The European Gaming and Betting Association has been among the staunchest opponents of the proposed restrictions, labeling them as “highly counterproductive” and urging the Spanish government to reconsider its approaches to regulating the gambling advertising sector.
EGBA Secretary General Maarten Haijer said recently that Spanish lawmakers should rather focus on “strict regulation of the contents of advertising”.
Mr. Haijer went on to say that “advertising has a crucial role to play in informing consumers which websites are regulated, and which are not” and that the “near absolute advertising ban proposed in Spain will deprive Spanish players of any information where they can play in a safe and secure environment.”
State-lotteries are exempt from the proposed restrictions, which is “unjustified, protectionist, and discriminatory”, according to Mr. Haijer.
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