Government and autonomous communities debate an online gaming bill

Internet gambling and betting regulation is the aim of a new project which is being analyzed by the government and the autonomous communities in Spain.

A meeting of the Sectoral Gambling Commission, comprised by representatives of Ministry of the Interior, the State Secretary of the Information Society, of the Tax Agency the National Entity of Lotteries and Bets of the State (ONLAE) and the communities.

The summit treated subjects such as a "registration of banned people" in Internet gaming, the impact of new Technologies (like PDA and mobile) in the sector and the transpose of a European directive of gaming services. These are the first steps in the development of a regulation from the Law of Services for the Information Society (LISI), passed last year, which brings the government the power to regulate the online activity by law, to specify the control and tax measures of this activity. It introduces the obligation to operate under an administrative license, which means a challenge to online casinos, which currently operate in Internet in Spain.

In the meeting, the need to bring special attention to vulnerable sectors, such as under-aged and people with gambling problems, was treated. The text will also regulate the operation of interactive gaming regarding the European norm and will have to assure that it is compatible with the norms that will apply to environments linked to the supply of this type of services.

Asturias informed that the intention of the future government establishes a tax system on Internet gaming as well as a distribution tax system. Besides, it aims to generate a gambling control system and Internet bets that guarantee secure and equal market conditions for operators, on top of an adequate level of protection for users.