Spain Ready to Revamp Problem Gambling Treatment Networks

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs in Spain has recently launched a public consultation aimed at its intention to revamp its divided treatment support network for problem gamblers. The consultation is an important part of the Ministry’s Decree Project that plans to implement a fully functional regulatory framework for the treatment support centers in the country’s 17 autonomous regions.

The Decree Project Wants Safer Gambling Regulations in Spain

The main goal of the Decree Project is to set up a better, safer, and more streamlined regulatory framework for gambling. The new laws would be adopted by all 17 governments overseeing the Spanish autonomous communities in the form of federal mandates.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has asked the Spanish people for guidance regarding its intention to solve the problem of its currently fragmented network for problem gambling treatment. This issue has been originally brought up two years ago, in January 2020. The country’s left-wing coalition government, together with its minority partner Podemos officially empowered the Ministry of Consumer Affairs to enforce a series of important changes in the gambling sector.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs is now looking to create a sturdy support network that will effectively share and promote important scientific data regarding the effects of problem gambling.  In return, the new support network would unify and help the country’s currently divided agencies aimed at fighting off gambling addiction.

The Decree Project has presented the hardships regarding the implementation of a fully functioning legislative framework that would grant subsidies while assisting regional agencies with developing their own frameworks for problem gambling treatment and research education.

The public consultation will introduce the Spanish people to the Ministry’s draft proposals regarding the way subsidies and grants would be used to support the country’s regional health agencies.

The Ministry of Consumer to Spend 25% of Gambling Taxes

According to the latest changes brought to the Federal Budget for 2021, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs will be directly responsible for taxing the gambling sector in the country. The Ministry plans on spending a quarter of these taxes on the new federal safer gambling legislation.

The second chapter of the public consultation will introduce the Spanish to the Ministry’s proposal regarding a fresh procedure that would create and manage grants. The respective procedure would be led by an Evaluation Committee with the purpose of evaluating subsidy and grant applicants using a new assessment criterion. The same committee would be responsible for assisting the Ministry with the distribution of all regional subsidies.

The Spanish Registry of Clinical Studies, together with the National Drugs Council may also help the Committee supervise all funding applications.