Spanish regulator casts doubt on public health approach to gambling harm
DGOJ director general Mikel Arana suggests study data provides no evidence for basis of government strategy
The director general of the DGOJ has insisted regulatory data does not indicate that gambling is a public health issue, despite Spain’s government pursuing strict regulation against operators on these grounds.
Commenting on the government’s public health stance on gambling-related harm, Mikel Arana said: “We have to say it clearly. Most people who gamble online or offline do it as a leisure activity and it does not represent a health problem.
“There are different studies on prevalence, the last one being from the General Directorate of Gambling Regulation in 2015 and the studies of the National Drug Plan.
“These reports show intense consumption, even compulsive gambling in some of the players, but they are not percentages that can become or mean a public health problem as such.
“However, that does not mean we should not try and prevent them from continuing to increase,” he added.
The Spanish government has made public health a cornerstone of its approach to enforcing gambling regulation following Spain’s elections in 2019. This stance was first highlighted in temporary restrictions on gambling advertising during the early stages of the Covid-19 lockdown.
In April, Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs banned all gambling marketing by operators based on the potential for increased gambling by players in lockdown.
While the temporary restrictions ended in June 2020, the ministry has since brought through a controversial Royal Decree imposing permanent restrictions and a ban on sponsorships by gambling firms among a number of measures on public health grounds.
Trade associations Jdigital and the European Gaming and Betting Association have publicly opposed the measures, claiming they are counterproductive and will enable Spain’s unlicensed markets.
Other groups, including Spain’s football association, have also railed against the measures, highlighting the potential loss of sponsorship income.
Jdigital has launched a lawsuit against the government over the decree, claiming it is disproportionate and unjustified, a stance which they have echoed following the DGOJ director general’s comments.
“We demand a balanced and proportionate regulation, based on real data such as those shared by the head of the DGOJ [and] not one justified by populist arguments or media headlines, without taking into account the consequences it will have on a sector whose activity is completely legal and highly regulated,” Jdigital said.