Spanish gambling incumbents have been put on alert, after Alberto Garzón – Spain’s new Consumer Affairs Minister – confirmed that he will announce new industry measures ‘within two to three weeks’.
Garzón made his statement on Spanish broadcaster La Sexta’s weekend current affairs programme ‘El Objetivo’ underlining that new federal measures were needed to protect Spanish communities from ‘the extremes of gambling’.
Since the start of 2020, Spanish incumbents have paid close attention to Garzon’s movements, as the Podemos party deputy has been appointed by newly installed PSOE-Podemos ‘socialist union’ coalition government, tasked with spearheading sweeping changes across land-based and online gambling verticals.
In his interview, Garzón maintained that he believed gambling to be a ‘legal economic activity’ and even admitted to playing Spain’s ‘El Gordo’ Christmas Lottery.
Nevertheless, Garzón stated that Spain’s current gambling laws had let down local communities dealing with problem gambling impacts as health and social issue.
Leading Spain’s Consumer Affairs Ministry, which has been granted an expanded remit to oversee gambling regulations, Garzón underlined that government intervention was required to form ‘autonomous coordination’ on gambling standards and sector regulations.
