Castilla y León proposes cash-only payments at gaming venues from 2027

The Junta de Castilla y León has proposed restricting payments at gambling establishments in the region to cash, under a draft bill of tax, financial and administrative measures for 2027. The proposal would amend Law 4/1998, which regulates gambling and betting in Castilla y León, to limit payments at these premises to cash for a period. The restriction is scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2027.

The measure is included in a bill that accompanies the regional budget. According to objections raised by the gaming sector, no sufficient justification has been offered for the change and no prior dialogue was held with the different gambling subsectors. The sector has criticised both the procedure chosen and the possible consequences of the restriction.

On the economic side, the sector says limiting payment methods to cash could hinder the commercial activity of establishments and affect the profitability of companies, at a time when venues are seeking to improve their competitiveness and adapt their operations to customers' needs. The proposal is also questioned on the grounds that it could treat private gambling establishments differently from other business activities and from public gambling operators, raising doubts about the proportionality of the measure.

The proposal runs counter to the sector's calls for regulatory modernisation. The sector argues that user protection should be compatible with technological modernisation and business viability, and it is asking for rules in line with the evolution of payment methods and with market competition conditions. The measure is seen as an obstacle to the modernisation demands that gaming companies have been making, and it raises questions about the coherence of the region's regulatory policy.

The draft bill has yet to complete its legislative passage. Pending its final processing, the limitation of electronic payments is emerging as one of the main points of friction between the regional administration and private gambling companies.