SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The Supreme Tribunal of Spain has accepted an appeal lodged by Spanish media trade union Asociación de Medios de Información (AMI) challenging the amendments of Spain’s Consumer Affairs Ministry on the ‘Royal Decree of Advertising’.
Published in yesterday’s government gazette, the AMI has urged the Supreme Tribunal – Spain’s highest-ranking legal body – to review Consumer Affairs orders that the trade union believes to be discriminatory.
The appeal states that traditional Spanish media incumbents have been unfairly penalised, as they will be forced to comply with the government’s blanket ban on gambling advertising from 1 May. By contrast, digital media incumbents will be given until 1 August to comply with Spanish advertising’s new federal orders.
AMI argues that Spanish radio, TV and press incumbents have been ‘economically hindered’ by the Consumer Affairs enforcement schedule, which will see companies miss out on key sports programming related to the UEFA Euro 2021 Championships and the Tokyo Olympics.
The Royal Decree on Advertising was approved last November by the government as a federal order imposing Spain’s new advertising code.
Following complaints from Spanish media and football clubs, the Consumer Affairs Ministry revised the decree to include ‘grace periods’ allowing businesses to prepare for new conditions restricting gambling advertising during a ‘1-5 am window’ across Spain’s traditional media.
The trade body said the appeal was supported by all 85 of its members, who agreed that the Consumer Affairs Ministry has restricted a ‘critical window of advertising earnings’ during 2021.
