Supreme Court of Madrid for Online Gambling

The Supreme Court of Madrid is not recalling its decision on online gambling. Although appeals have been placed by slot machine operators the authorities are considering expanding the regulation national. The appeal used was that it is impossible to ban only citizens of Madrid from Online betting technologically wise, but this has worked as a boomerang as they are now making an attempt to ban gambling nationwide. Madrid authorities have issued licences for joint ventures between Spanish gaming firms Codere and Cirsa with William Hill and Ladbrokes respectively, to Greek Intralot, Austrian operator Admiral Sportwetten, and to a partnership between Betbull and Bwin. None of these operations have indicated any offerings of internet betting services alongside their Madrid retail outlets. As the Spanish capital Madrid is awaiting its first regulated sports betting website, the region’s online regulations are likely to be superseded by national legislation that will regulate internet gambling throughout Spanish territory. We understand that lawyers close to Spain’s state-owned national lottery operator Loterías y Apuestas del Estado have been assigned with drawing up a first draft of cross-national regulations, in line with guidelines set by the Spanish Congress in a December 2007 motion . Any draft is likely to face amendments though, particularly once key jurisdictional and taxation issues – both of which will be explored at future conferences in Spain next year. Opposition by the land-based sector to recent legal changes suggests that local gaming operators will also look to exercise their influence in the forthcoming debates surrounding the future direction of gambling regulation in Spain, particularly as new competition and new technologies are set to be introduced to the Spanish market. Amusement operators in Madrid have been resistant to their opposition to draft machine regulations that would allow licensed bingo halls in the region to install high-jackpot, interconnectable ‘B3’ gaming machines , which local bingo hall operators threatened to uninstall electronic bingo machines recently approved for operation by the Catalan regional lottery Loto Catalunya. 28 percent tax applied to gross bingo revenues in the region which has caused threats of disconnection of Loto Catalunya’s ‘Binjocs’ machines if the Catalan Government refuses to reduce the rate.