Spain seeks end to gambling sports sponsorship, welcome bonus offers

Spain’s online gambling operators are up in arms after the government unveiled strict new promotional limits, including an end to football shirt sponsorship and welcome bonuses.

On Thursday, Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs sent the latest draft of its Royal Decree on gambling advertising to the European Commission for approval. The Ministry had previously signaled its intention to impose new ad limits that were more strict than the temporary pandemic limits that were lifted last month.

Among the more significant elements of the latest draft is the brief statement that gambling operators’ sponsorship of sports jerseys or kits “will not be admissible.” The draft also seeks a ban on betting operators inking naming rights deals for sports venues, leagues and competitions, while decisions on whether to prohibit pitch-side gambling advertising will be left up to individual Spanish states.

The proposed limits would have a significant impact on La Liga, Spain’s top-flight football organization, which has a betting partnership with Cirsa’s Sportium brand. Numerous clubs currently feature gambling brands as their main kit sponsor and many others have some form of betting partnership.