We would like to thank our panelists and all attendees for joining us during last week’s webinar "A perfect storm? How to move forward in Spain’s new iGaming environment."
You can view the webinar in its entirety here:
Panelists & panelist questions
The webinar featured the following panelists:
Mikel López de Torre, Chairman of Jdigital
Pedro López Martín-Andino, Managing Partner at MartínAndino Abogados
Eduardo Morales Hermo, Gambling & Betting Consultant at iGamingCo
During the webinar, the panelists addressed the following questions:
What has been the impact of the current Covid-19 pandemic and the government's temporary advertising restrictions on the online gaming industry?
The new Royal Decree on gambling advertising will introduce a series of permanent restrictions on gambling advertising. What else can we expect from the current government regarding future gambling regulation?
The appointment of Mikel Arana as the new DG of the DGOJ indicates that Spain’s national gambling regulator will likely steer a different course in the future. How will this affect the day-to-day operations of licensed operators?
The current coronavirus crisis and more stringent advertising restrictions will likely mean that some licensed operators will decide to exit the Spanish market. Other operators may still see opportunities. What can we expect regarding M&A activity?
Currently there are ca. 80 licensed iGaming operators in Spain. How many of these will survive and become successful? What happens to the rest?
Spain’s land-based gambling sector has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. Can we go back to normal when the economy reopens, or will we see a more fundamental shake-up?
You can find out the answers to these questions by watching the webinar.
Poll results
Webinar attendees were invited to particpate in a poll, the results of which you will find below.
Audience Q&A
Attendees were also able to submit questions of their own. We have answered some of these questions below>
Q: Is the new director of the DGOJ interacting and gathering feedback from the industry? How do you see his interest in the current status of the sector?
A: It is still early, but so far the new director hasn't reached out yet.
Q: A previous draft of the Royal Decree on gambling advertising was publicly consulted. Will there have to be a second public consultation on the new version?
A: There will not be a new consultation round, but as all administrative processes came to halt due to the State of Alarm, the consultation is currently still open.
Q: What is the curent status of Jdigital’s marketing code of conduct?
A: It has been approved and is in place. Operators have been following it for the last five months.
Q: Will the Covid-19 situation and the appointment of the new DGOJ director affect the Ceuta and Melilla tax benefits for operators?
A: A change in Ceuta's and Melilla's tax status would require new primary legislation. At he moment, this seems not particularly likely.
Q: Do you think a lack of land-based gaming will push more people online?
A: While certainly possible, data from other markets suggests that this is, in fact, not happening.