Spain set to limit bonusing and deposits under “severe” gambling advertising regime

The Spanish government has said it will look to restrict all bonuses and promotions by gambling operators to €100 or less as part of new advertising standards announced today.

Spain’s newly elected Minister of Consumer Affairs, Alberto Garzón, confirmed the government is planning to ban gambling advertising on TV and radio, except between the hours of 1am and 5am.

However, in the case of live sporting events, television and radio advertising is permitted between the hours of 8pm and 5am.

In a press conference announcing the new proposed standards, Garzón said he had looked at the example of Italy, where advertising is banned as a regulatory model but decided not to implement a blanket ban, due to the potential expansion of the black market as a result.

Garzón claimed it would be better for both public health and the gambling market to continue in a controlled and regulated manner.

“The regulation of the publicity of the game in Spain will be the most severe in the European Union and I know that many companies are going to lose a lot of money” Garzón said.

In addition to limiting bonuses, operators must allow players to set daily, weekly or monthly deposit limits subject to limits of €600, €1,500 and €3,000 respectively.

Under the proposed new standards, the use of celebrities and sports stars in gambling ads will also be banned.

Usage of operator brand imagery, logos or promotional messaging is banned in any event where participation is restricted to minors. The usage of any operator name or brand imagery to identify a sporting arena or through in-stadia advertising is also prohibited.

The advertising of betting and gaming brands will not be permitted on children’s clothing, but sponsorship of athletes and sports teams will be allowed under the new rules.

Operators will be allowed to offer free-to-play games provided they are only available on the operator platform once the user has registered.

In respect of social media advertising, operators must enter a single message about responsible gambling after every four communications.

The restrictions are a significant relaxation on the initial standards mooted earlier this year, when the Spanish government claimed it would bring gambling advertising in line with the punitive standards used in alcohol and tobacco ads.

In addition to releasing the new standards, Garzón confirmed that any operator found to be in breach of the decree could be fined between €100,000 and €1m.

If passed, operators will be given a transitional period of between one and three months to adapt to the new rules.

The standards are now subject to a public consultation process, with a window for submissions open until 16 March. After this, the finalised decree will be passed for parliamentary vote, meaning that the decree could be in force as early as summer 2020.