The future Gambling Act will regulate all forms of gambling, especially new forms of gambling as Internet gambling, by mobile phone, interactive systems or software tools.
The legislation, with which the Spanish government intends to enhance consumer protection and prevent crimes such as fraud or money laundering, also includes a new tax for each type of game to be paid by operators.
The law, summed up the second vice president, will give a boost to legal economic activity, and tries to modernize the current system by converting the Lotteries and betting agency of the State (LAE) in an entrepreneurial company, which can promote private-sector participation, strengthen the consumer protection and use all tools, caution and guarantees of the information society.
The Minister of Finance stressed at the press conference after the Council of Ministers that although gaming regulation is a matter of the autonomous communities, there is a need of a general rule to regulate the sector as many of their activities and due to the use of telematic resources it’s necessary to do it beyond the borders of each community.
The law will heed attention to the protection of minors and responsible gambling, and will also respond to the nearly 40,000 people who have voluntarily asked not to be allowed access to gambling or gambling to avoid gambling addiction and dependence.
The future legislation provides for the creation of a new penalty regulations, leading for a single regulator organ, similar to the current National Gaming Commission, but with a large representation of the autonomous communities.
Regarding the tax system, the second vice president has put forward the creation of a special tax on the collection, although she predicted that a large percentage of that money will be for the autonomous communities. The State Lotteries and Betting s and ONCE shall be exempt from this tax, they will have a specific regulation. This tax will be different for each type of game.
All parliamentary groups claimed by consensus a draft law regulating gambling activities, particularly those made through interactive systems based on electronic communications.