Spanish casinos oppose to high taxation

According to the trade union, simply for opening a table game an average Tax on Economical Activities of 30,000 euros is paid, reaching 76,000 euros in several cases.

“It is unfair, because it does not practically consider correction elements for seasonality”, points the entity. Besides, the gaming fee can reach the 60% of the gross income in some Autonomous Communities. They even do not have enough capacity to deduct anything from VAT, which causes to be submitted to oppressive tax conditions.

“We have restrictions in advertising and promotion. In some Autonomous Communities are anachronistic. We ask equality of treatment with the online gaming regulation,” remark sources from the AECJ as a measure to grow before the loss of sales.

The different homologations of products, as much as CCAA exist, “attempt against the free market and is of dubious legality in the European ordinance, which harms manufacturers and operators that did not find in the market a modern product, adequate to compete”.

This situation hinders the permanence of many Spanish casinos in a limited market that is decreasing. AECJ considers that the evolution involves abolishing an “intrusive” regulation, tending to a model that "guarantees the rights of the users, the public order and crime prevention.” In short, they aim the Administration to bring the operator a leeway that allows the adjust to the economical, social and technological reality.

They also oppose to the limitation of homologation of machines, "being impossible the authorization of products internationally recognized. We are possibly the only European market with such determining factors.”

Another important subject is tobacco, a norm with terrible consequences for casinos, because the customer volumen has been considerably reduced. “It should be allowed to smoke, as it happens in the rest of Europe and US”. Finally, they defend a supression or reduction of the guarantees.