Gambling Sponsorships in Spain Are About to End

For years, lawmakers in Spain have been looking at ways to reduce gambling addiction. The government has been implementing new restrictions on the many gambling companies operating in the country. According to new reports, gambling sponsorships in Spain will soon be prohibited by football clubs.

It’s a major blow for the gaming operators here. The inability to sponsor athletes is one of many restrictions set in place recently. Today, we’re going to talk about why this regulation is being implemented.

Let’s get into it!

Gambling Addiction Continues to Be an Issue Amongst Spanish Youth

Every country in Europe has its own regulations when it comes to gambling. Some countries are known for being more lenient than others. Spain prohibited many forms of online gambling for decades until finally making a change in 2011.

That year, the government passed the Spanish Gambling Act. This allowed foreign gambling websites to begin operating in the country after obtaining a license from the government. The industry quickly began to grow and the government started earning valuable revenue from these gaming sites.

Not everything was going perfectly, though. Since 2011, gambling addiction has been on the rise in Spain. The government even declared gambling addiction as a mental health disorder due to the rise in cases.

Reports then surfaced that the majority of online gambling websites were teenagers. It’s a troubling statistic for the country’s leaders. There have been many different attempts to lower addiction rates, most of which are aimed at reducing gambling marketing activity.

Sports betting has been surging in 2020. As you might expect, this is leading to another increase in gambling addicts and more inquiries by the government. It now appears that lawmakers will no longer allow football clubs in the country to be publicly sponsored by gambling companies.

It’s one of the toughest blows towards this industry made so far.

Gambling Sponsorships in Spain Can No Longer Involve Football Clubs

Spain is known for its passionate sports fan base. Football is extraordinarily popular here. It’s not much of a surprise when considering this country is home to some of the best football clubs on the planet.

Soon, gambling sponsorships in Spain will be prohibited from targeting these clubs. News has broken that football clubs are being told to end their contracts with gambling companies before the end of the season. This is due to the new laws going into place soon.

Minister of Consumer Affairs Alberto Garzon signed the letter sent to these clubs. This letter claims that these types of sponsorships have contributed to the increase in gambling addiction seen around the country.

“(The sponsorships and clubs) contributed to normalising a practice with serious health and social risks which need to be minimised in the field of advertising.”

Seven of the 20 clubs in La Liga are currently partnered with sports betting companies. That includes Sevilla and Valencia. The removal of these sponsorships is likely to have an impact on these company’s abilities to gain exposure.

Some officials within La Liga argue these new regulations will result in millions of lost euros each year. The government is holding steady in its demands, though. We’ll continue offering updates on the gambling regulations here over the next few months.

More UK Gambling Regulations Are Expected to Be Introduced Soon

Spain isn’t the only European nation that’s concerned with gambling addiction. The United Kingdom is well-known for having the largest gambling market on the continent. Gambling addiction has been surging here for years and the highest levels of government are now looking to introduce new regulations.

Even Prime Minister Boris Johnson agrees that a change needs to be made. In late September, the PM confirmed that a new task force was being set up to study this industry. It seems likely that new regulations will be set in place sometime in the near future.

Lord Foster of Bath, a member of the Peers for Gambling Reform, believes it’s clear that additional restrictions need to be placed on gambling operators.

“Given that we have a third of a million problem gamblers, including 55,000 children, and one gambling-related suicide every day, action is urgently needed,” Lord Foster said. “Online gambling companies have cashed in on the pandemic, making more profit and putting more lives at risk. He said the group had been set up to ensure “urgent action is taken by the government to reform our wholly outdated regulation.”

Things are changing in the European gambling industry. Many of the biggest sports betting operators here are now working hard to break into the US market. That is likely to continue as more states legalize sports gambling.

Are you surprised to hear that gambling sponsorships in Spain are ending? Will this help to reduce gambling addiction here? Let us know in the comments section below!