AGEO urges Galicia to adapt proposed gambling rules to hospitality operations

AGEO, the association representing hospitality and recreational gaming venues in Galicia, has called on the regional government to adjust its proposed gambling regulation to reflect how hospitality businesses operate. The association's president, Víctor Mato, said in an interview that the administration has notably increased the obligations placed on gaming companies and that the final text should correct requirements that hinder their activity. The draft regulation, which runs to 348 articles, is intended to bring the region's separate sector rules for bingo, casinos and recreational venues into a single text.

Mato said the single-regulation format is more complex and will bring difficulties in combining adaptations needed over the years with a rule covering several subsectors, though he described it as the most logical approach and said its definitive drafting will determine its validity. On administrative burden, he said digital processing is advancing but slowly within the administration, which he said has greatly increased and continues to increase obligations on companies aimed at controlling all activity rather than allowing them to develop. He cited the requirement that a bar closing temporarily for more than 30 days must apply rather than notify, and provide supporting evidence rather than a possible explanation, when the closure is due to holidays, works, illness or a transfer of the business. Mato said AGEO is not the owner of the premises and in many cases cannot know the reason, and that the requirement would lead to the authorisation being withdrawn.

On machine breakdowns, Mato said the requirement to keep a register of faults and return to service in real time adds a further difficulty and a risk of a minor sanction for a doubtful reason, since a breakdown may occur at a weekend or the operator may not have received the notice. He said the sector adapted to the administration's demand and that this is not the largest problem but an added one without sufficiently justified cause. Asked about the deposit regime, he said AGEO does not consider it a barrier to market entry and that the obligations are reasonable, with qualifications.

Mato said AGEO has not directly asked the Xunta to review maximum stake prices. He said a final provision of the draft states that the authority may update the price of a game, and that AGEO has indicated this should run from the previous update, giving the example of a price of 20 cents since 2000 that could next become 50 cents. He also said the sector's main harm is a negative image without real basis, which he attributed to a lack of rigour in media reporting, and that this leads some establishments to hesitate about installing gaming machines and some users to fear being prejudged for playing for 20 minutes. Mato said AGEO hopes the final text reflects the operational reality of the hospitality sector and that it aims to persuade the Xunta.