An independent consumer rights agency in Spain has demanded that the country’s government introduces a credit card gambling ban.
FACUA-Consumidoresen Acción has praised the country’s coalition government for restrictions that were proposed at the beginning of the month. However, it wants gambling measures tightened further.
Following in the UK’s footsteps?
FACUA made these demands after the Gambling Commission announced that this kind of ban would come into force in the UK. Announced on Tuesday, this will be implemented from April 14th onwards.
In the context of Spain, the organisation felt that similar rule changes here would stop more people from becoming potential problem gamblers. It said:
“This measure would help to fight against gambling, a scourge that in recent years has continued to increase, especially in vulnerable groups such as youth and adolescents.”
FACUA also referred specifically to the UK in its proposal, praising the country for becoming the first to restrict wagering via this payment method. It believes that such measures “aims to minimise risks to consumers by preventing them from accumulating debts due to gambling”.
Gambling restrictions in Spain
Spain’s new coalition government has already made it clear that it wants to clamp down on gambling regulation. At the beginning of January, it announced plans to introduce ad restrictions that are already imposed on the tobacco industry. Since 2005, brands of this kind have only been allowed to advertise at points of sale. The only exception is in non-EU publications that are created for non-EU audiences.
This forms part of a broader six-point plan to limit gambling regulation in the Southern European nation. Other proposed measures include working with each province to stop outlets from opening before 10 p.m. each day. Moreover, the government wants to impose limits on how close points of sale can be to schools.
In December 2019, gambling addiction became classed as a mental illness in Spain.
