Seville Seeks Stricter Bookmaker Regulations
In Seville, Andalusia’s capital city, the local council is looking to increase regulations for bookmakers and other gaming establishments. If passed, new rules would require brick-and-mortar betting houses to locate themselves further away from school zones, according to reports from local media outlet, Diario de Sevilla.
Gaming houses may have to move 500 meters away from schools in Seville. Tim Mossholder/Unsplash
The Seville City Council meets Junta de Andalucía
For Seville’s City Council to achieve its aims regarding betting house locations, it will have to have the support of Junta de Andalucía (Regional Government of Andalusia) to make changes directly to the General Urban Planning Plan (PGOU). At the moment, the distance is set at 150 meters.
The reason for the change is clear: The council believes that increasing distances will make those in education (primarily minors) less likely to participate in betting, and therefore less likely to engage in it themselves. However, it is uncertain whether Junta de Andalucía will take the idea on board.
For one, Spain’s Ministry of Finance and European Financing spoke on the topic early on in 2022, stating that gaming establishments should have distance from schools for minors. However, there does not seem to be enough general interest in extending the current enforced distance.
A former councilor, Juan Bravo, cited their statements when speaking about the issue in parliament. Now the Minister of Finance, Bravo suggested that evidence does not exist to support the claim that a face-to-face gambling problem exists among minors in the autonomous community. He said that there is much talk about this issue, but that it is essentially a rumor that cannot be backed scientifically.
Even if Bravo’s statements are true, it is generally agreed that being exposed to gaming media is harmful to minors, who are considered a vulnerable population. That is why in 2019 many changes were made to the PGOU, some of which addressed exactly this cause.
At the time of those modifications, the building of new gaming establishments was paused while this distance was debated. The point was exactly to protect minors by making sure there were not as many of these places in the areas they frequent. The City Council pushed through this change then, but ultimately does not have authority over gaming regulations and needs Junta de Andalucía to act on the matter.
Further changes to the PGOU were approved in March, 2021, though it was only one step of a longer process. A regional decree was approved in May of that year, which set the distance at 150 meters. Other changes were implemented regarding gambling advertising and more stringent rules to prevent minors from accessing gambling in brick-and-mortar shops.
If a minor is found gaming at such a place, managers of the establishment can be fined between €10,000 to €300,000. Though Andalusia operates autonomously, this attention to vulnerable groups and gaming can be seen in Spain as a whole. Spain’s Minister of Health recently addressed addiction stigma among hidden groups, like women.
Politicians fighting for distance
While the council waits for movement from the gaming authority in Seville, some politicians are speaking out about the issue. United Left candidate Ismael Sánchez met with mayoral candidate Nadia Ríos to say he supported another pause on the opening of gaming houses until an agreement can be made.
Sánchez floated the idea of a 500 meter distance between not only betting houses and educational facilities, but also public sports and recreation spaces. The result would be that betting houses would be sent to the outskirts of cities, a significant change to the urban structure as it stands.
