The Gaming Association appeals the decree of advertising before the Supreme Court. JDigital considers “discriminatory, unfair and disproportionate” the Royal Decree on Commercial Communications of Gaming Activities approved in November 2020. Carlos Hernández Rivera, general director of Gaming in the first government of Mariano Rajoy, joins the JDigital team.
The online gambling sector on the warpath
The private sector of online gambling in Spain is on the warpath. Last November, the Council of Ministers approved the Royal Decree on Commercial Communications of Gambling Activities. A decree that limits the advertising of gambling operators in Spain. This law was approved by the Council of Ministers last November, at the proposal of Alberto Garzón.
According to the BOE, the Supreme Court has accepted the appeal of the Spanish Association of Digital Gaming (JDigital) to revoke the Royal Decree of Commercial Communications of Gambling Activities. JDigital considers the Royal Decree “discriminatory, unfair and disproportionate”. As was already done by the Information Media Association (AMI), who filed an appeal on January 14.
The Gaming Association considers that this new law will lead to the lack of protection of users from illegal operators. And of course, an economic recession in the sector. Currently, the gaming industry is not going through its best moment. The global pandemic has only made clear the shortcomings of an increasingly devastated sector.
Comparative tort between the public and private sectors
The Gaming Association appeals the decree of advertising. JDigital denounces the comparative grievance between the public and private sectors. The Gaming Law only affects the private sector, since the public sector is exempt. Thus, ONCE and State Lotteries can continue to advertise their campaigns in the media without time restrictions or regulations.
However, the private sector is damaged. Gambling operators can only advertise in the time slot from 1 to 5 in the morning. In addition, welcome bonuses, the use of public figures, among other restrictions, are prohibited.
One of the most controversial points is the ban on sports sponsorships. At the end of October, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs sent 25 clubs a letter demanding the termination of the contractual relationship with the bookmakers at the end of the 2020/2021 season.
