AEDAPI responds to amendments

The Spanish Association of Online Gamblers (AEDAPI) has responded to a series of amendments to Spain’s proposed egaming legislation which have been submitted to the country’s government.

Several amendments – concerning matters ranging from a potential black period – requiring applicant operators to cease activity in the market until licensed – and the requirement to locate data servers on Spanish soil – have been met with a mixed reception by members of AEDAPI.

In a statement issued yesterday, AEDAPI questioned the impact of a black period in particular, suggesting it might encourage players to use illegal operators until the period was over.

It added that: “Avoiding close of business will ensure that in the very first day the law comes into force, Spanish users will be playing in legal enterprises.”

AEDAPI has also expressed doubts about the calls to put all servers and technological equipment in Spain, arguing that it could “undermine the attractiveness of the Spanish market.”

However the association was by no means critical of all the proposed amendments, taking note of calls for administrative licences rather than a tender procedure – advocated by a number of political groups.

It also noted calls to bring the proposed tax rate down, with different parties calling for different rates to be imposed – in one case as low as 10%.

AEDAPI president Sacha Michaud expressed his optimism in the light of the proposals, although he accepted there was still some way to go in the push towards regulation.

He said: “The fact that it has submitted a large number of amendments by the different political groups on the one hand indicates that there is still much work to do and, secondly, we’re going in the right direction to build a positive framework.”