An independent consumer rights protection body has urged the Spanish government to introduce a ban on the use of credit cards for gambling purposes, following news that the UK will implement the measure this coming April.
FACUA-Consumidores en Acción, an independent consumer rights organization, has proposed the credit card ban shortly after Spain’s new coalition government presented late last year a 50-page accord containing proposals for new gambling regulations.
The document, backed by Spain’s PSOE (Socialist Workers’ Party) and Podemos (left-wing populist party), includes a number of highly restrictive measures that, according to lawmakers, aim to better protect Spanish gambling customers from falling victims to gambling addiction.
The rules that could be implemented as part of Spain’s effort to revamp its gambling laws involve additional consumer protection measures, new, tobacco-style restrictions for all forms of gambling advertising, and a review of the country’s online gambling tax regime.
In a statement on its official website, FACUA welcomed all proposed restrictions and measures, but noted that the government should go even further and ban gambling with credit cards. The consumer rights body noted that Spanish lawmakers and regulators should follow the example of their UK counterparts and that a ban on the use of credit cards would prevent vulnerable customers from spending money they do not really have to gamble and accumulate debts.
An All-Encompassing Ban
FACUA urged the government to implement a credit card ban that would encompass both the retail and online gambling sectors. The agency also said in its recent statement that lawmakers should order gambling establishments to remove all ATMs they might have inside.
According to FACUA, a credit card restriction can easily be circumvented if there are ATMs inside betting shops.
The UK Gambling Commission this week announced that a blanket ban on the use of credit cards for gambling purposes is set to take effect on April 14, 2020. The ban was introduced amid calls from anti-gambling campaigners and British MPs for the implementation of tighter gambling restrictions that would more effectively prevent increase in problem gambling and gambling addiction rates.
FACUA noted this week that Spain should adopt similar approach to gambling regulation in order to tackle any societal problems stemming from booming gambling activity in the country. The consumer rights body expressed concerns over the growing number of gambling websites and physical establishments as well as the advertising activity taking place on the territory of the country aimed at promoting various gambling products and services.
FACUA called for a gambling ads ban in order to prevent regular gamblers and people who have never participated in such activities from being encouraged to engage in those.
Italy implemented a blanket ban on gambling adverts in 2018, while several other European countries, including Sweden and Belgium, are discussing new gambling advertising restrictions.
Source: FACUA pide a Garzón que prohíba el uso de tarjetas de crédito en las casas de apuestas
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