Spain names Andrés Barragán Urbiola to oversee gambling reforms

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Spain names Andrés Barragán Urbiola to oversee gambling reforms

The Council of Ministers of Spain has selected Andrés Barragán Urbiola as Secretary General of Consumption and Gaming.

Urbiola will oversee Spain’s ongoing federal revamp of gambling legislation, which is being overseen by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. Pablo Bustinduy, Spain’s Minister of Consumer Affairs and Social Rights, had urged that a dedicated minister be appointed to supervise gambling reforms.

Bustinduy is taking over the responsibility for gambling reforms, which were previously managed by Alberto Garzon, who chose not to serve in Spain’s new ‘progressive left’ coalition government. Since 2020, under Garzon’s direction, Spain has reorganized its gambling legislation to create universal standards and centralized regulations for both online and land-based gambling.

Authorized by Garzon, the “Royal Decree on Gambling Advertising” changed the character of gambling in Spain by outlawing sponsorships related to betting and limiting the timing of gambling commercials to late hours. Garzon also developed the “Royal Decree on Responsible Gaming Environments,” which was approved in 2023 and prepared the Spanish gambling industry for more changes.

The government of Spain made a calculated decision in appointing Urbiola as Secretary General of Consumption and Gaming in order to carry out its comprehensive reform of gambling regulations. Pablo Bustinduy personally chose Urbiola, who has a solid expertise in financial analysis and economic policy, to be in charge of the federal regulations relevant to the gambling industry.

Urbiola’s appointment was motivated by his broad experience in the Ministry of Economy, Commerce, and Business, where he organized Spain’s Transformation and Resilience Recovery Plan and created support measures for businesses throughout the pandemic. In his capacity as Secretary General, Urbiola will concentrate on putting these policies into action and improving them so that, by 2024, Spanish casino operators will be in compliance with the strict regulations in Europe.

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