The parliamentary groups of PP and Vox have addressed the gambling sector in the two joint amendments they presented this week in the Valencian Cortes, in order to remove some restrictions, moratoriums and bans on the renovation of arcades and slot machines provided for in the law and to reduce Law regulating gambling and preventing gambling in the Valencian Community, passed in 2020 by the previous left-wing government of the Generalitat. “These are two measures that seem fair to us,” says Alejandro Landaluce, general director of Cejuego, the business association that represents the majority of the private sector in Spain, to this newspaper, referring to the amendments submitted by the parties that make up the current Consell under the Chaired by the popular Carlos Mazón. Both were submitted to the Fiscal Measures Act project, a budget-accompanying law that typically makes changes to laws that affect very different topics.
If these two amendments are adopted, as expected by the parliamentary majority of both parties, the restrictions on obtaining licenses for premises and machines contained in a law that has been introduced due to the growing and serious problem of gambling addiction identified at all ages was enacted, reduced. always earlier. For example, arcades and certain betting shops can renew their licenses even if they are less than 850 meters from an educational center and, contrary to current legislation, are also located in “vulnerable locations”. These establishments and the bingo halls do not have to be at least 500 meters apart, another change contained in the first amendment to the second transitional provision of the law.
The second amendment states: “For a period not exceeding five years, the suspension of new licenses of gambling establishments is established, with the exception of those referred to in Article 45 paragraph 3 letters d) and f) of this Law.” That is, they are licenses for “Leisure halls” (letter d) and “other premises approved for the installation of gaming machines” (letter f) are permitted. The five-year suspension applies from the entry into force of the law on new permits for the operation of “recreational machines with winnings”, popularly known as slot machines, but applies to these “broken or obsolete machines” with a caveat. .”, which can be replaced with a new one during its validity period.
In short, it changes a law restricting private on-premises gambling that has been denounced as “very restrictive” by several industry groups and has been appealed. Alejandro Mendiluce recalls that the Supreme Court of the Valencian Community has questioned the regulation. The TSJ has asked the European Court of Justice whether the distance and location restrictions contained in its economic freedom treaties are compatible with European law. It also points to the fact that the standard already provides for less restrictive but “effective” measures to protect consumers and raises the possible “discrimination” of private premises compared to those of state lotteries, pools and sports betting or ONCE, which are not subject to it The same restrictions apply as this is not the responsibility of the Generalitat.
Nuria Ciscar, the regional representative of the PP who, together with Juan Zaplana, is in charge of processing the draft law on fiscal measures, explains that the changes were made after a meeting with “associations of the sector and with workers” and after the promulgation of the TSJ . “The regulations are overly restrictive and are leading to numerous layoffs or closures in the industry. The law already has enough controls, as the TSJ itself says. In addition, the administration should in all likelihood compensate companies. “The protection of young people and health is a priority, but in our opinion this is guaranteed by control measures.”
The general director of the Cejuego employers’ association claims that since the law came into force, 42 of the almost five thousand arcades in the Valencian Community have been closed and estimates that, in the event of a positive decision, the companies’ compensation would increase to around 350 million euros. The PP and Vox changes to the “most restrictive” law in Spain are “a recognition of reality,” he affirms.
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In this regard, Fidel Molina, president of SOS Hostelería, assures: “The proposed changes to the law relativize some of the most ideological aspects of the law that have affected employment, and also reduce the debt collection capacity of the Generalitat.” “That is not at all what the industry wants, but without affecting the spirit of the law, these are changes that prevent harm both to the administration and to companies and their employees.”
Criticism of the opposition
However, the Socialist spokesman for the Ministry of Finance in the Cortes, Jose Muñoz, believes that the changes “represent a setback for a pioneering norm in Spain that has served as an example for other municipalities.” Muñoz criticizes that the right “sides with the big gambling operators” and “leaves young people unprotected” in the face of “the serious problem that exists in our country of gambling addiction”. Muñoz recalled that gambling addiction is already “a public health problem” and regretted that the Consell “will encourage it by repealing a bold rule.” “The Consell de Mazón wants to give the major gambling operators a free hand to open betting offices and that we return to a model with slot machines and betting offices at the doors of our children’s schools, at the doors of addiction rehabilitation,” emphasizes Muñoz.
The parliamentary spokesman for Compromís, Joan Baldoví, believes that “the big losers will be the Valencian neighborhoods and cities, where new betting and gambling establishments will spring up like mushrooms.” “While in recent years we have… “While the Valencian government has fought against gambling addiction and gambling addiction, PP and Vox are taking a step backwards and putting business before health.” Baldoví also criticizes the amendments that repeal the transitional provision with which the previous government increased the rate of wealth tax on income 10 million euros from 3.5% to 3.75%. “With these PP and Vox proposals, the millionaires win because the wealth tax gives them money. A gift especially for the 0.2% of Valencians.”