Why are Spanish authorities now cracking down on the advertisements of operators who just months ago were allowed to open up shop in Spain? It seems that a number of Spanish senate members are concerned about responsible gambling, especially when it comes to teens. The senate would like to reduce the negative impact that online gambling has on these vulnerable members of Spanish society, and to do so, they are tackling the problem at the only source available: advertising.
As of now, advertisements of gambling products and services are not regulated by the Spanish government, but it is expected that at some point in 2015, that will change.
The main advertisements that lawmakers are seeking to restrict are those on broadcasting channels and mobile devices. They would also like ads that are directed at underaged citizens to be completely banned. Of course, it is too early to say for sure what will pass into law and what will not.
Paula Gonzalez de Castejón, a gaming lawyer of DLA Piper, stated that the chances are fairly high that some amendments will not make it into the regulation draft. However, even if not all of the amendments pass, the new bill will certainly affect large online operators such as bwin.party and 888poker in a negative way.
Another point to also note is that recently, number of sponsorship deals between Spanish sports teams and gambling websites have been cancelled. This fact certainly does not bode well for the future of online gambling on the Iberian penninsula.