Spain’s Minister of Consumer Affairs: Fighting gambling has to be the “absolute priority”

Spain’s Minister of Consumer Affairs has justified the country’s draconian measures on gambling advertising by insisting it is the youngest and poorest in society who suffer the most from gambling-related harm.

Speaking to La Opinión de Málaga¸ Alberto Garzón said gambling addiction was a matter of public health and that it was his responsibility to protect those at risk.

Garzón has overseen the implementation of a strict marketing ban in the country that limits TV and radio ads to a window between 1am and 5am, as well as banning gambling sponsorships in football.

The measures are set to come into full effect by Q3 2021.

He said: “We believe that when we talk about public health, we talk about fighting gambling, that has to be the absolute priority.

“It is a serious public health problem that affects especially the youngest and the poorest people. We have initiated a radical line, and the first thing we have done has been to ban all advertising, because it had skyrocketed,” he added.

The Riojan went on to state his policies had been met with tough resistance, both from the gambling and football industries.

However, he argued that Spanish-licensed sports betting operators had been allowed to grow exponentially against a backdrop of economic downturn in the country.

He added: “We have done all that with great difficulty, because we faced people with a lot of money: the football line has resorted, the media have resorted.

“The problem with sports betting is that they have had such a large extension in the last five years that they have coincided with an economic deterioration for our country as a response to the previous crisis.”

In March, Garzón revealed there were plans brewing to sanction a review of the gambling tax regime against operators.