The Game in Spain Stays Mainly in the Stadium, to Benefit of All Gaming in Spain 2019 Attendees

With Gaming in Spain Conference 2019 coming to Madrid November 21-22nd, organisers have given operators 7 reasons to attend.

#1: Spain is Open for Business

First off, Spain is happening now—literally, offering attractive tax advantages in a market that is about to boom.

#2: Spain's Diversification and Expansion

Second, thirty new licensees are set to enter Spain's regulated iGaming market, which will diversify and expand the Spanish market and Gaming in Spain set to keep attending operators in front of the competition.

#3: Assured Future Growth

Third, strong future growth is in the cards. With the current market growing fast, total annual revenues are still some 16% below 2007’s pre-recession peak, all but assuring strong future growth to meet that demonstrated minimum market capacity.

#4: General Elections

Fourth, Spain is holding general elections on November 10th, to impact the regulatory environment in time for Gaming in Spain 2019, where the ramifications of the election results will be fleshed out for all attendees.

#5: Top Notch Speakers

Fifth, Gaming in Spain will feature top notch speakers such as Regulación del Juego (DGOJ) Director General Juan Espinosa García; Jdigital President Mikel López de Torre; Secretary General of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) Maarten Haijer; Spain & Portugal Political Intelligence Managing Partner Maria Rosa Rotondo; Interwetten CEO Dominik Beier, and many more!

#6: Marketing to the Decision-Makers

Sixth, the marketing opportunities: all the movers and shakers of Spain's online gaming market will be there!

#7: The Derby

Seventh, over the course of the conference, attendees have the opportunity to visit both iconic football stadiums. Day 1 will feature a networking, dinner and tour of Santiago Bernabéu; while Day 2 sessions will take place at the Wanda Metropolitano. The Madrid derby theme will be capped off by a free draw for attendees to win an authentic Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid football jersey.

Breaking Down the Elections

More key features include a newly added and timely expert breakdown of Spain's election results, after Sunday's results. In Spain's fourth national election in five years, acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s PSOE plurality was significantly short of an outright majority. The impact of a challenged new government will be discussed.

Conference Speaker Comments on Elections

One Gaming in Spain headline speaker political analyst and Political Intelligence Managing Partner for Spain and Portugal Maria Rosa Rotondo will discuss how the Pedro Sánchez gamble failed:

New Government Players

“The PSOE, led by Pedro Sánchez, won the elections, but failed to strengthen its position, losing three seats in Congress and its majority in the Senate, with Sanchez still faced with forging agreements with far-left Unidas Podemos and newcomers Mas País and Catalan pro-independence parties; the Basques other “regionalist forces.”

This delay leads to an interim government which poses specific challenges for online gambling regulation.

Delayed Adaptation

One thing this does is put a stalemate of sorts on gambling: interim governments only act upon emergencies or situations that require an immediate reaction, meaning introduction of the long-awaited Royal Decree on gambling advertising in a major market is now postponed pending the appointment of a new prime minister and formation of a new government.

New Environment

Eventually, Rotondo sees the new government as altering the course of regulation, “with a Parliament that tilts to the left” creating an expectation of “restrictive proposals that, due to the previous political gridlock, failed to be discussed will now gain traction.”

Political Impact om Market

In other words, the new political situation in Spain could delay regulation updates beyond just the interim government period, because of a new left-leaning government that election results indicate will have be formed eventually.

Key Keynote

Another key discussion that will take place is an update from DGOJ via Director General Juan Espinosa García's keynote address at the 2019 Gaming in Spain Conference. A description of the current conditions to kick off the conference will be vital and timely.

Outlook

The productivity to be gained from these engaging venues and formats will position attendees for pole position in the new Spanish market. Preparing for delays, and possibly reshaping operations, are hurdles which can be negotiated with the insights to be presented at Gaming in Spain 2019 to alleviate operators concerns and ease the adaptation to new government in a still attractive market.