The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has reminded the Spanish government that new gambling regulations must be :balanced and proportionate” to be effective.
While reiterating its support for the measures, published in December, it said the new measures must be “designed in such a way that they support rather than undermine the regulated market.”
In a statement on its website, EGBA Secretary General Maarten Haijer said, “In the past, we have seen, in various jurisdictions, the introduction of well-meaning consumer protection measures which had an actual counterproductive effect because they pushed online players towards unregulated, off-shore websites which exposes them to dangerous practices and a lack of legal recourse when their consumer rights and protections are being trampled on.
The Spanish government “should pay attention to this risk,” Haijer continued,” and ensure that new measures are mindful of the need to ensure a high participation rate of players in the Spanish regulated market, rather than the offshore market.
“This is true particularly in respect to advertising, which is a vital instrument to direct players to the gaming and betting websites which are licensed and regulated Spain—and away from risky websites.”
