As stricter marketing regulations seem inevitable for the Spanish gambling sector, President of jDigital, Mikel López de Torre underlined the country’s latest budget could serve to increase the black market.
The online gambling trade body went onto warn that the regulations represent an ‘unnecessary step back for Spain’s gambling market’.
After much back and forth, the PSOE minority government agreed with socialist party counterpart Podemos on the provisions of a 2019 budget, that would be unfavourable for the country’s gambling sector.
Issuing a corporate response, jDigital detailed: “We view the prohibition or limiting of access to advertising verticals, as a step back for the market, which will hinder licensed operators and place national consumers at risk of black market engagements.
“The reality is that at present, the only weapon of distinction that Spanish regulated operators have is advertising.”
Lopez de Torre leads jDigital as Spain prepares to welcome new market incumbents, with regulator DGOJ set to close its third licensing window this December.
jDigital’s leader details that to date, Spanish licensed online gambling incumbents have followed the laws and guidance on advertising set out in the ‘2011 Gambling Act’, a mandate that has had two public consultations in the last three years.
Spanish news sources have detailed that PSOE and Podemos are set to ‘treat gambling like tobacco’, severely limiting the coverage of betting products to Spanish consumers.It comes after a host of UK operators signed deals with Spanish clubs this past Summer, with bet365 partnering with a total of 10 clubs.
