Spain to ban gambling advertising

The country’s ombudsman is urging a ban on all gambling advertising in Spain, except for state-run lottery operations.

The Spanish government and regional authorities seem to have the gaming industry in their sights. That’s why Spain may ban gambling advertising in the near future, as the ombudsman recently proposed.

Acting Ombudsman Francisco Fernández Marugan submitted a recommendation to the government to enforce a total ban on gambling advertising. The proposal targets specifically online gambling ads and leaves out the state-run SELAE and ONCE lottery services.

According to Marugan, Spanish law doesn’t include gambling advertising in Spain. He further argued that gambling was “a public health issue that requires a regulatory framework with imperative legal norms.”

“A self-regulation model would not be effective” in achieving effective consumer protections, he said as quoted by CalvinAyre.com.

In Galicia, regulation changes will set a 118 limit on gaming rooms and 41 betting shops. The government is on track to pass such rules and, according to the Galician Gambling Commission, they are aimed at closing the market before the publication of the next laws on gaming.

Emiliano García-Page announced new gaming legislation in Castilla-La Mancha as well. The president of the autonomous community wants it to restrict new gambling hall openings.

“We’re becoming very worried about young people getting involved with gambling,” he said. “We want to stop it before it further develops,” he added.

However, the gambling industry in Spain is worried since he also froze ten gaming licences up for approval in 2019. The region is certainly facing tougher laws and gambling may be in trouble.