Various stakeholders in the sector gathered at the event "Online gaming in front of the mirror: X-ray of a sector in transformation" and made a diagnosis of the current state of the industry in the country and what the main criticisms and complaints are.
Spain.- During the meeting "Online gaming in front of the mirror: X-ray of a sector in transformation", organized by Europa Press and Jdigital, various Spanish experts in the field advocated for a balanced regulation of the sector to reduce to the "minimum expression" the players who turn to the illegal market. Furthermore, it was requested to expand the dialogue because "it is not advisable to reinvent the wheel", since in gaming "it is known what works and what does not work".
"The regulator has to see that the best way to protect consumers is by reducing to the minimum expression the players who go to the illegal market. The way to protect consumers is by making a much more attractive market, as attractive as possible," stated lawyer Santiago Asensi, one of the speakers at the debate tables.
Asensi recalled that the problem of pathological gambling in Spain is "very reduced" and, globally, it is one of the countries with the least issues. "Responsible gaming is an important part of what the sector is, but the problem of pathological gambling in Spain is very small for all the hype and importance that is being given to it," he affirmed.
The lawyer also referred to some of the measures that the Spanish government seeks to adopt, which are detrimental to the sector: "It is known what works and what does not work. It is known that a high tax does not work, it is known that without advertising there is no access. To dispense with that dialogue and come with preconceived ideas, as Minister Garzón could land with the issue of the advertising decree at the beginning, certainly does not work," he emphasized.
At that debate table, titled "Regulatory Challenges and Challenges of the gaming sector by 2025", also participated the manager of MDF Partners, Mario Chamorro, who demanded reflection on the "excess" of regulation that exists because "there is no measure that causes illegal gaming to increase", although "the sum of all makes it necessary to consider any measure".
In his intervention, he recalled that around the year 2010 began the "regulatory explosion" of online gaming in Europe. Regulations with very similar models and with less concern for responsible gaming than exists today. "Nowadays, all countries still have a very similar situation. It is rare the country that does not have advertising restrictions. We have gone from a time where there was nothing to a time where everyone is reregulating," he remarked.
During his speech, he highlighted that, currently, users have to receive a notice every 60 minutes or a monthly email, which causes them to "get tired". "It cannot be that we are bothering 99 percent of the users for a theoretical problem of 0.3 percent of the people," he asserted.
For his part, the former professor of Administrative Law José María Baño assured that the great legal challenge of the sector is to have a framework that is capable of adapting to technological changes and "discourage" illegal gaming. "Consumers should be protected, illegal gaming should be restricted as much as possible because it protects no one," he declared.
The former professor appealed for a European regulation in which the administrative authority is independent, both from the point of view of domestic law and from the point of view of network administration. "In online gaming, the challenges regarding illegal gaming are European challenges, they are not challenges that affect France or Germany differently than they can affect Spain," he stated.
Subsequently, the second debate table was held, titled "The elephant in the room: illegal gaming", in which participated Mónica Alba Quintana, chief inspector of CENPIDA (National Police), Cristina Díaz, head of Integrity of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), and José Antonio Gómez Yáñez, professor of Sociology.
Sports is one of the sectors most affected by illegal online gaming, which is why Cristina Díaz has called for a "united" fight against match-fixing and illegal betting.
"Major sports events are much more controlled, but now the criminal focus is shifting more to those lesser competitions that seem to be developed in anonymity. If the result of the competition ceases to be unpredictable, it also loses its appeal," she warned.
For her part, Mónica Alba Quintana pointed out that illegal gaming is not typified in the Penal Code, so it should be one of the lines to be addressed soon. Additionally, she drew attention to the "20,000 different payment systems", especially when they are not controlled.
"The main problem of investigating is the traceability of money. It's crazy. Because once we request information outside of Spanish territory, many of them require us to provide evidence. That is one of the parts or legs of the bench that I believe should be regulated within the legal operators," she demanded.
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In the case of José Antonio Gómez Yáñez, the expert pointed out that 0.3 percent of the Spanish population has problems with gaming and added that the figure is decreasing, something that is also happening in Europe.
Finally, the Director General of Gaming Regulation of the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030, Mikel Arana, closed the event stating that the department's goal is to "protect".
