Spanish slots expected in Q4 2014 as consultation period opens
Two-week window for feedback onSpanish slots and exchange regs opens as stakeholders are invited to comment on proposals ahead of launch
The Spanish government has invited stakeholders to comment on the country’s proposed online slots and exchange legislation with a go-live date not expected before Q4 2014.
A two-week consultation began yesterday allowing the egaming industry and other interested parties to submit feedback on the proposals, however the regulator does not have to act upon the suggestions.
Spain’s long-awaited online slots regulation was published last month, revealing a strict set of customer protection guidelines operators must adhere to.
Following the consultation period ending 27 March a final ministerial order will be published and submitted to the European Commission.
Spanish gaming consultant Eduardo Morales-Hermo suggested that a realistic timeline for the country’s regulator Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) to have the regulations finalised would be Q3 this year, with operators going live with online slots in the final months of 2014.
The DGOJ yesterday also published separate reports into the impact online slots and exchange betting would have on both the online and offline markets.
Among the key findings was that there is no evidence that online slots would cannibalise the land-based slots industry as many of Spain’s incumbent operators have feared.
It also found that regulation of slots is required to absorbe the illegal dot.com consumption, and that the country’s regulation will be grounded in experiences from other regulated markets like UK, Denmark and Italy.
It is hoped that the addition of online slots will provide a boost to Spain’s flagging online gaming market which saw gross gaming revenue (GGR) contract by 20% to 51.6m over the course of the first three quarters of 2013.