Gambling Ads to be Regulated in Spain

Gambling operators in the nation of Spain will soon have to prepare themselves for tougher regulations targeting gambling advertisements. It is believed that the new laws will place restrictions similar to the ones targeting the tobacco industry.

Multiple reports have originated from various sources within the Spanish press indicating that the new regulations will be a part of the proposed 2019 budget. The 2019 budget is being presented to the European Union this week.

A collaborative effort

Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s PM and the leader of the ruling Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), developed the budget in partnership with the Podemos party. The budget apparently introduces restrictions that are similar to the ones being currently applied to the tobacco industry.

The regulations targeting the tobacco industry in Spain were introduced in 2005. These regulations prohibited most tobacco advertisements and promotions. Even sponsorships by tobacco brands were banned. However, a few minor exceptions were included.

According to a study by InfoAdex, gambling companies spent around $165.5 million towards advertising in 2017. This was 1.8% more than what they had spent in 2016.

The proposed budget mentions that broadcasts of sporting events, such as basketball or football, are littered with gambling ads offering live betting, an activity that is easily accessed by vulnerable individuals, such as minors/adolescents and recovering gambling addicts.

Not welcomed by all

Plans to restrict gambling ads from 6 AM to 10 AM were supported by the CAC (Audiovisual Council of Catalonia). However, this has not been welcomed by all.

The President of the Spanish Association of Advertisers, Begoña Élices, issued a statement that advertisers should be allowed to advertise as they choose in a free, democratic society. Élices added that advertisers must be left to advertise according to their convenience in a free society and those were the rules of a democratic system.

If Spain were to go ahead with the new rules, the domestic gambling market would find itself in a scenario currently being experienced by Italy’s domestic gambling sector. Earlier this year, Italy came up with a ban on gambling advertising as a whole. This naturally angered groups such as the European Gaming and Betting Association. Even so, the ban will go into effect from January 2019

Gambling operator LeoVegas also criticize the proposed restrictions, calling them “completely wrong.” However, last week, the company supported a reduction in the number of gambling advertisements as a way to help curb the increase in gambling addiction.