ANESAR calls for respect for regional gambling powers in Spain
Regulation1 min read
ANESAR secretary general Juan Lacarra said state initiatives should respect Spain’s regional powers over gambling during an interview reported on 3 November. He also called for consistent regulatory principles across public and private gambling markets.
ANESAR secretary general Juan Lacarra said that any state-level initiative must respect the powers of Spain's autonomous communities. He also called for avoiding unnecessary interference in areas that the autonomous communities have managed for many years.
Lacarra acknowledged that coordination between public administrations is important. He summarised the association's position as a model based on safety, institutional respect and proportionate regulation.
The secretary general also gave figures for the sector. He said Spain has approximately 3,600 gaming arcades with more than 36,000 machines installed. He said the activity supports 47,000 jobs, direct and indirect, of which more than 19,000 are direct.
On taxation, Lacarra noted that operators pay a special tax on top of the taxes paid by other companies. He said gaming arcades contribute €320m in gaming fees, taxes and social security contributions.
On private versus public gambling, Lacarra said there are often significant differences in advertising, sponsorship, sales channels and access control. He said the basic rules and regulatory principles should be applied with consistent criteria across the whole market.
The interview was recorded in connection with an ANESAR board meeting held in Zaragoza on 7 October. It is the third and last instalment of a series that earlier featured ANESAR president José Vall and AESA president José Antonio Rubio.