Online gaming thrives in Valencia
Online gaming in Valencia transferred €14 million to the state coffers in the Autonomous Community.
Spain.- The gaming sector is in the spotlight in Spain despite being a great contributor to the state. However, online gaming in Valencia managed to sustain a successful operation.
According to the authorities, the sector transferred €136 million to state coffers. Of the total amount, €14 million came from online gaming in Valencia.
Controversy around gaming
Given the recent statements by Minister Alberto Garzón, who branded gaming as a “health issue,” the response didn’t take long.
According to the official, gaming “can lead to problem gambling, so it is a matter of public health.” However, his theory was quickly rejected.
Fidel Molina, president of COMATEL, spoke with AZARplus and emphatically denied it. He explained that it is wrong “since that conception ignores the actual figures surrounding the activity.“
“Official figures speak for themselves: problem gaming index being 0.3%, that is to say that not only the prevalence and social impact are minimal, but that Spain is at the lowest scales in this respect in Europe and in the world,” he explained.
“We cannot forget that this Sector began to grow in a multilateral way and with business logic when the transfer of competences to the Autonomous Communities took place many years ago,” he added.
“The autonomous regulation system is no noise. On the contrary, it offers a very good level of harmonisation, although it must be constantly improved”.
