Gambling Licenses to Continue as Planned in Spain

The Home Affairs and Administration Ministry of the Spanish government reconfirmed earlier in the week that national gambling regulator Enrique Alejo is committed to meeting the scheduled date of June 1, 2012 to issue casino games online licenses to selected applicants. The announcement also clarified that once the licenses are issued, top rated online casino providers can begin working immediately, although as it stands, in-play betting will not be allowed.

The announcement came as a reaction to rumors in the gambling community that the Spanish government would not be able to meet the deadline that it had set for itself because of numerous personnel changes in the regulation department, as well as a large number of applications, and ongoing litigation in the courts.

It has been said that more than fifty-nine of the best online casinos have applied for licenses in Spain.

Brian Mattingley, CEO of 888 Holdings, caused some doubt in the industry at a recent conference when he stated that he visited Madrid with a colleague and assessed the situation in the country. They felt that the Spanish regulator would need additional time to process all the applications beyond the deadline of June 1. Mattingley went on to say that he was impressed by the openness of the regulatory authority's team to the suggestions and ideas presented.

Many of Europe's top rated online casino providers have applied for licensure in Spain and are hopeful that the market will be kind to them there. Companies are keeping close watch on the situation as they will face a financial loss if the deadline is postponed once more.