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Casinos> 2007
- Real Casinos News Archive>
Complications For Bwin's Real Madrid Deal
Spanish consumer protection association demands investigation
With the ink hardly dry on a major sponsorship deal between the
famous Real Madrid football club in Spain and top Austrian online
betting group Bwin Interactive (see previous InfoPowa report) it
appears that a consumer protection association is trying to throw
a spanner in the works.
The Asociación de Usuarios de la Comunicación (AUC),
a watchdog association for the Spanish communications industry has
lodged a complaint with the administrative branch of Spain’s
Ministry of Economy and Taxes, claiming that online gambling activities
in Spain are illegal if carried out by unlicensed companies, therefore
rendering illegal the promotion of online gambling. AUC executives
have demanded the commissioning of an immediate investigation into
the sponsorship.
This is not the first time that AUC has pressed the illegality
point. It has also lodged complaints against several newspapers,
radio and television media that have accepted online gambling advertising,
together with three football teams that have accepted sponsorship
from Miapuesta and 888.com in addition to Bwin's sponsorship of
Real Madrid.
Online gambling could become the subject of political debate in
Spain following criticism from the sports spokesman for Partido
Popular, the principal political Opposition last week. The spokesman
called on the government to address the issue of foreign Internet
gambling companies illegally accessing the Spanish market, and said
that such activity was in direct contravention of "at least
eight" Spanish laws. He accused Spanish football clubs like
Real Madrid of being accomplices in illegal gambling through involvement
in sponsorship programs with online gambling companies, and noted
that managements of such clubs should anticipate the possible consequences.
Thus far the Spanish government has shown little appetite for legal
action against online gambling companies sponsoring Spanish sports,
but high profile promotional activities by major companies such
as Bwin seem to be generating more heat among opposition politicians
and organisations like the AUC.
As a member of the European Union common market, Spain is faced
with the now widespread EU demand for free movement of goods and
services, which several governments have resisted due to the impact
on individual state lottery and other monopolies. The European Commission
is currently active in pursuing the free movements of services in
several countries following major European Court of Justice rulings.
Earlier this year the Madrid government gave regional governments
more licensing freedom regarding gambling, triggering major interest
in the Spanish market.
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