Elections May Delay Spain’s Online Gambling Regulation

Submitted by Gary on Wed, 2010-09-08 at 16:58

Spain Recently, the Spanish government drafted a bill that would regulate online gambling. The new laws would prohibit Spanish citizens from accessing unlicensed online casinos and advertisements from operators that have not obtained a Spanish gambling licensed, as well.

However, the upcoming election in September may see Spain’s government focusing on more pressing issues than online gambling. It takes up to three months for the European Court of Justice to approve any legislation, so the pressure is on for the Spanish government to get the bill approved before elections take place.

Very similar to France’s online gambling laws, Spain’s reform would seek to reduce the number of international online casinos. Unlicensed operators would be forced to pay a fine of €600 000, but the European Court of Justice may require Spain to be more lenient, as reducing foreign operators is against the European Union’s free trade requirements.

The new bill would also help to establish Spain’s online gambling market as an authoritative source in Europe’s market. A new regulatory body would be created, so as to ensure that international and local operators are adhering to laws and keeping customers safe from fraud. It will also monitor advertising closely, to keep unlicensed operators from marketing their services to Spanish citizens.