Spain restricts gaming ads

Spanish Government imposes additional restrictions to gaming advertising amid the Coronavirus crisis.

Spain.- New restrictions on online gaming advertising are being imposed in Spain as one of the measures the government is taking to preserve social and economic order amid Coronavirus crisis gripping the country.

According to a Royal Decree published yesterday, all audiovisual communications for gambling operators will only be allowed to be broadcasted between 1am and 5am.

Communications on digital channels will also be affected, with individual email and direct advertising on social media prohibited.

Operators are also barred from running acquisition and retention campaigns that offer financial rewards, bonuses, discounts, free bets or games, odds multipliers or any other form of prize to players.

The content of advertising will be monitored, with the decree warning that operators may not implicitly or explicitly refer to the pandemic, or promote gambling as a way to alleviate boredom.

Local media reports that the government took action after the country’s gambling regulator, the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) revealed that there had been an increase, rather than a downturn, in gambling activity in recent weeks.