Spain thinks about to establish a regulatory body for internet betting

The Spanish Secretary of State for Sport, Jaime Lissavetzky, proposed yesterday the creation of „a new law on professional sports“ and creating „a regulatory body“ of the sports associations, to ensure „solvency, the transparency and accountability.“

Lissavetzky opened the interventions on the subcommittee of Professional Sports Congress yesterday, where were 50 speakers agreed by the parliamentary groups to analyze problems and develop this sector, then some conclusions with possible policy changes.

„Rather than amending the Act of Sport, I have proposed a new law on professional sport, which takes into account aspects such as definition of a professional athlete and provides the right to join the social security,“ said Lissvetzky, after nearly three hours for appearance.

The Secretary of State also raised the need to „ensure a model that moves a message to the company solvency, transparency and accountability, which would go through the creation of an independent regulatory body, with the presence of the National Sports Council (CSD), federations, leagues and sports associations.

Lissavetzky, announced that he will start working in parallel with the subcommittee of Congress, with the sectors affected by future regulation of professional sport, also raised the desirability of regulating online gambling, „to be to the advantage of spanish sport, „and was in favor of a system of collective selling of broadcasting rights.

„A model that respects the rights already acquired, according to the European trading system -Spain is the only country in which they are negotiated individually – and take into consideration the concept of general interest in the information,“ he said.

The Secretary of State was in favor of amending the Act, which is already under way, and hoping its realization he proposed some modifications such as containing in the new statutes of the League of Professional Football (LFP), which introduce the „early warning“ as a wake-up call for clubs with financial problems.

The criminalization of the sale of matches which will be taken into account in amending the Penal Code, was another of the aspects which concern raised Lissavetzky andalusia andalusia sporting fraud.

The spokesman of Popular Party (opposition party) , Francisco Antonio Gonzalez, spoke of „the willingness of all groups to solve problems“ and noted that his group „has no objection to the creation of a specific text on professional sport,“ as the Act 90 „is completely outdated.“

Gonzalez, who moved more than 30 questions to Secretary of State expressed concern about the debt of the football clubs of First, Second and Second Finance with B, which in October 2008 stood at 627 million euros and in January 2009 689 million, a difference of 62 million in three months. „

„The problem is that regulatory bodies have been complicit by failing to report the situation, not that there have been no regulators,“ said in the dissenting tone PP spokesman, reiterating that his group is reaching out to government for solutions “ and remember that the PP has asked the President of the English League and a UEFA executive. (EFE)