Betway Fined For Breach of Spanish Advertising Regulations
The Spanish Gambling Authority has fined Betway for gross misuse of advertising rules after they released a marketing campaign that violated several articles. An Instagram campaign set up by the online betting company was flagged by Spanish regulators after it was published for several misconduct issues. The initial review failed to notice any error with the marketing material, and once the authorities realized their mistake, they immediately recalled the campaign and prevented Betway from re-uploading it. Currently, we are still waiting on more news to confirm Betway’s current situation.
Betway has landed in hot water with the Spanish authorities after they red-flagged the company’s most recent advertising campaign for several misconduct problems. The online sportsbook is yet to respond to the postponement of the marketing material, but you can bet that they will retaliate and argue for the use of the promotional content. ©rperucho/Pixabay
The Spanish gambling regulators are among some of the strictest in mainland Europe and have frequently dished out severe punishments for any betting firm overstepping the boundaries. For example, they reprimanded several unlicensed sportsbooks for operating outside of the regular jurisdiction, as a result, all of the sites in question were shut down immediately and reduced to little more than an empty domain. The board employs many scouts to keep an eye on the industry as a whole and report back any misalignments, some of which can lead to a full-on investigation.
Depending on the severity of the offense, the regulators can issue a number of punishments for firms that have repeatedly broken the rules. The standard practice is to issue a fine, the value of which depends on many variables. Sometimes, admins are forced to prosecute companies as one entity and other times, and one key figure may be indited if the charges against them are serious enough. James Packer is an infamous figure in the gambling scene, and the Australian gambling board have arrested him for his connections to fraudulent activity in the past.
Betway is the latest company to be caught in the fiasco related to any case like this. Some are defending them, saying the charge isn’t serious and that the board made the initial filing mistake. The confusion surrounding the filing error has definitely lessened the legal blow Betway could’ve faced had the Spanish Gambling Board not made a mistake. They should probably consider themselves lucky, but they will still receive a fine upward of $120,000. A serious offense for any company, and the online sportsbook will be frustrated to learn of the verdict.
A spokesperson for the European sportsbook stated that the company would retaliate against the Spanish Gambling Association and claimed that years of unfair treatment lead to the board charging them for no apparent reason. As previously mentioned, Betway representatives are under the impression that the marketing material in question in no way violates any codes of conduct connected to Spanish advertising regulations. An independent review court has been called to take a look at the case files, and a short prejudgement will take place in the coming weeks to either confirm or deny the current charges against the online betting company.
The Deadly Trap of Spanish Advertising Standards
While Betway may feel unjustly served at the latest court hearing, they wouldn’t be wrong in questioning the supposed clarity of the Spanish advertising regulations. For years, betting companies have fallen into the same trap regarding marketing material, and many have been penalized, mostly through fines, which many believe is a cycle to keep funding the gambling board. However, these claims are ridiculous as the government primarily funds the organization, and only a small percentage of any fines issued is reinvested into the gambling association.
Despite all the negative reception they’re receiving, the Spanish Gambling Board have managed to achieve some credible things over the past year. Recently they approved the license for Mansion Casino, one of Europe’s top providers, and the firm is sure to strengthen the already formidable Spanish online gambling market. Advertising will remain heavily restricted for the coming months, and if Betway wants to help change that, then they need to make an official complaint to the European Gambling Association, which oversees the continent’s industry as one entity.
