Spanish lotteries escape further market restrictions

The Spanish lotteries, ONCE and SELAE, have escaped wider restrictions around gambling advertising and marketing, with Director-General of Spain’s DGOJ Mikel Arana refuting criticism that they have received favourable treatment.

The government announced the decision to revise the mandate of the approved ‘Royal Decree on Advertising’ last week, adding further market restrictions and controls on gambling.

The Director-General responded to the ‘whirlwind of criticism’ by Spanish betting operators, who felt they had been treated disproportionately in relation to the national lottery operators who have had  no advertising restrictions imposed on them.

He said: “This is not a matter of favourable treatment. The Decree will develop and strengthen Spain’s Gambling Law, which defines the operating conditions for different types of games and operators….it’s as simple as that.

“The Gambling Law holds a statutory reservation exclusively for ONCE and SELAE, marking key differences between them and for-profit operators. Do we treat them differently, yes clearly as it’s the law that forces us to make a distinction.”

The news follows on from the revelation courtesy of the European Commission which stated that the Spanish government had drafted a series of new amendments to its approved Royal Decree on Advertising, banning betting sponsorships across all professional sports leagues.

Sanctioned by Spain’s Consumer Affairs Ministry, the changes will see Spain adopt a near blanket ban on the advertising and marketing of gambling products, in which sports will not be exempted from the Royal Decree’s remit.

Further changes saw the Consumer Affairs Ministry recommend the blanket withdrawal of welcome bonuses as a marketing incentive – an order that had been temporarily imposed on licensed operators during Spain’s national lockdown.

Leading a new era for the DGOJ, Arana commented on how the agency prioritised the protection of young consumers as a core objective, branding the new amendments as ‘logical step in decreasing advertising exposure and prohibiting welcome bonuses, which are largely the gateway for new players’.