Spain to enforce four-hour gambling advertising window

Spain’s Consumer Affairs Ministry has recommended that gambling-related content be limited to a ‘four-hour advertising period’ implemented federally from 1-5 am across all Spanish communities.

The Ministry’s strict advertising window follows a meeting with the leaders of Spanish gambling trade associations CeJuego (retail) and Jdigital (online gambling).

The ‘after-hours’ restriction will be initially implemented across TV and radio formats, forming the ‘first-round’ of significant changes to overhaul Spain’s federal advertising code – a mandate overseen by Alberto Garzón, Spain’s new Minister of Consumer Affairs.

The gambling watershed provision will be attached to long-awaited Royal Decree on advertising, with Garzón seeking to enforce these new requirements by summer 2020 following a transition period allowing Spanish media and broadcast stakeholders to adjust to new conditions.

Beyond TV and radio formats, Spain’s Consumer Affairs Ministry is reported to be drafting new restrictions on online advertising verticals, which will be published separately to the Royal Decree.

Jdigital Chairman Mikel López de Torre stated that discussions had featured a ‘positive assessment’ of Spanish gambling, but that the online gambling trade association would not comment on changes until it reviewed the full proposal.