Spain: Licence application opening 24 hours away
Legislation opening window for operators to apply for general and specific licences due to be published tomorrow.
The opening of the Spanish egaming market edged a step closer today after the Ministry of Economy & Finance issued a further 10 decrees formalising and outlining specific rules and restrictions on all its permitted online games.
According to local sources close to the matter only one piece of legislation – opening the window for operators to apply for both general and specific licences – now remains before around 16 European and 14 local land-based and online and media companies bid to operate in the market next year. This will be published tomorrow.
Spain’s Ministry of finance & economy today issued 10 separate ministerial orders, or decrees – six for casino games and four for sports betting – on behalf of the regulator establishing the rules for games allowed when the market is expected to open on 1 January. Documents include information on games such as roulette, horse racing and bingo.
Yesterday eGaming Review revealed that operators preparing to apply for a Spanish online gaming licence that have not paid back taxes from 28 May could be at risk of being excluded from being approved.
Any operator that has not paid 25% of its Spanish gross gaming revenues from the day legislation was passed could face exclusion from the first round of licensing, a source close to the matter told eGaming Review.
A representative of a large European operator in the process of applying for a general licence told eGR the Spanish regulator earlier this year set two initial due dates for prospective companies to pay back taxes on Spanish revenues from 28 May, the day local authorities passed egaming legislation. The first was the end of July, while the second was the end of October.
On Tuesday eGaming Review exclusively revealed that 16 European operators are known to be close to completing paperwork in order to apply for a general licence in Spain. A single general licence requires each operator to provide a 2m cash backed guarantee approved by a local bank.
A number of operators spoken to by eGR have complained about the lack of clarity and costs that have built up due to the local regulator attempting to fast track the process before Sunday’s general election. A new conservative government is likely to be voted in and potentially re-examine the new legislation.