Spanish gambling operators express criticism over the decision to reinstate advertising restrictions.

Jdigital, the Spanish online gambling trade association, has urged the government to collaborate with operators in response to recent moves to reintroduce restrictions on gambling advertising. These restrictions, added through an amendment to a separate decree focused on creating a new state public health agency, revive limitations on gambling ads on social media, along with prohibitions on bonus promotions and the use of public figures, as initially set by the 2022 Royal Decree on Advertising.

Earlier this year, Jdigital and media association AMI successfully appealed parts of the decree, leading Spain’s Supreme Court to lift certain restrictions, including the ban on advertising to new users with accounts less than 30 days old and prohibitions on ads on social media and video platforms. However, advertising limits for television and the ban on sports sponsorships were upheld. The court also annulled the ban on celebrity endorsements in gambling ads.

Pablo Bustinduy, Spain’s consumer affairs minister, has indicated that these measures would return under federal law. In response, Jdigital has called on the government to consider its Code of Conduct on advertising, which includes a voluntary €200 limit on bonuses. Jdigital criticized the government’s renewed restrictions as unrealistic, highlighting that Spanish media backs the industry’s position.

In related news, Spain’s gambling regulator, DGOJ, announced Spain’s recent ratification of the Macolin Convention, an international agreement to combat sports manipulation in Europe. Signed on October 17 by Spain’s ambassador to the Council of Europe, the convention will take effect on February 1, 2025. The DGOJ described this as a key step to protect sports integrity and make Spain a leader in eradicating sports manipulation.