Alejandro Landaluce, head of Spanish casino association CEJUEGO

"Statistical data contradicts the Spanish government’s gaming figures"

"While the government says gambling is detrimental to society, we know the most profitable state-run company in Spain is the national lottery. They are developing and boosting state gambling to the cost of the private sector," Landaluce added.
2020-12-18
Reading time 1:22 min
In an exclusive interview with Yogonet, Alejandro Landaluce, head of casino trade association Consejo Empresarial del Juego (CEJUEGO), delved into the reason why they consider that the government is treating the gambling sector in an unfair way, and highlighted the lack of statistical support for the restrictions implemented across the nation.

"The gambling sector had never been on the agenda of the government nor the media in Spain," Landaluce told Yogonet. "The industry is governed by very strict regulations and we have 40 years of legalized gambing, but in the last few years, there has been a strong campaign against the sector and the disclosure of gambling information."

"Our research study clearly shows that the gambling sector, after the 2008 crisis, saw a considerable drop from which it had not recovered in 2019," Landaluce explained, and added that in 2008, the sector was 6% up compared to late 2019, and at the time, that raised no eyebrows but now, with a lower volume we are facing this situation."

"In 2030, we were faced with COVID-19 and its consequent shutdowns, and when we were able to reopen, we did so with limited capacity and hours. Moreover, as a result of this campaign against the sector, we have noticed that in certain autonomous cities, other industries that pose greater risks have been allowed to resume operations while gambling businesses remain closed. All of these has led to a 50% drop in the sector in the period between January and October," the head of CEJUEGO added.

"Many jobs are at risk due to this crisis and instead of launching a support campaign as we’ve seen in the case of many other business activities, we are faced with orders prohibiting advertising or land-based gaming, limiting hours, and more," Landaluce told Yogonet.

"While the government says gambling is detrimental to society, we know the most profitable state-run company in Spain is the national lottery. They are developing and boosting state gambling to the cost of the private sector," he added.

See the full interview on our Youtube channel.

Leave your comment
Subscribe to our newsletter
Enter your email to receive the latest news
By entering your email address, you agree to Yogonet's Condiciones de uso and Privacy Policies. You understand Yogonet may use your address to send updates and marketing emails. Use the Unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
Unsubscribe
EVENTS CALENDAR