ANESAR secretary calls for proportionate Spanish gaming regulation

Juan Lacarra, technical secretary general of ANESAR, called for regulatory rules and principles to be applied consistently across the whole gaming market in Spain. He spoke in an interview held on the occasion of the ANESAR board meeting in Zaragoza on 7 October.

Lacarra said Spain has approximately 3,600 gaming halls and more than 36,000 installed machines. He said this activity supports about 47,000 direct and indirect jobs, of which more than 19,000 are direct. According to his figures, gaming halls contribute around €320m in gaming taxes, other taxes and social security contributions. Lacarra noted that operators pay activity-specific taxes and also face the same tax obligations as other companies.

On the regulation of private and public gaming, Lacarra said the sector sees differences in advertising, sponsorship, sales channels and access controls. On coordination between public administrations, he said progress is important but that state initiatives must respect regional powers. He added that state initiatives should avoid interfering in matters that, in his words, the autonomous communities have managed for years. The interview text says ANESAR favours a regulatory model based on safety, institutional respect and proportionality.