Garzón urges others to follow Barcelona’s lead on betting shops

At a press conference alongside Barcelona’s mayor Ada Colau, Garzón praised the city for announcing a ban on the opening of new gambling establishments such as bookmakers, bingo halls and casinos to “preserve citizens’ health” in October last year. 

He said the move represented a “commitment” to the health of the municipality’s residents, and sent a “powerful and necessary” message to stakeholders. 

Other administrations across Spain should follow Colau’s example, he added, coordinating efforts where possible. 

It comes as the Ministry prepares to introduce a new draft Royal Decree designed to strengthen player protection measures for the country’s igaming market. Garzón announced these plans yesterday, saying passing the legislation into law would be a key priority in the coming year. 

“[We] need to increase security in this sector to protect consumers and warn them of the risks they face,” he said of the decree. 

It follows a year in which advertising has been significantly curbed by prohibiting new sports sponsorship deals and limiting advertising to the early hours.