Euroslot Sep08 pg26 8/21/08 9:40 AM Page 26
EUROPEAN NEWS - SPAIN www.euroslot-online.com
Europer
The Basque Country, football and betting
Fatal blow to
summer
A
t last the Department of Gaming and Entertainment in the Basque
Country’s Autonomous Government has produced the protocol for the
harness racing
technical tests required to formally approve the licensees’ betting machines.
Kirol Jokoa and Ekasa, two of the three licensees, have already obtained
in Balearics
dinner
approval and will start operating in September. The approval process has been
meticulous and much slower than the heads of both companies had expected,
and even after submitting exhaustive documentation in order to be selected for T
he Government of the Balearic
Islands has struck an almost
A
gain this year, the traditional one of the three licences, it has still been necessary to carry out an enormous fatal blow to the system that
summer dinner organised by technological investigation. They were hoping to be able to start their operations finances harness racing. The
the Europer association for its with the European Cup and continue with the Olympic Games, but in the end Consorcio del Juego Hípico de
members took place this July. At when they do start, they will only be taking bets on the results of football Mallorca, (the Majorcan Horse
this year’s event, as is now the matches. "Which is what the majority of people know", commented an Ekasa Racing Betting Consortium), chaired
custom, the annual report was manager yesterday. The Kirol Jokoa company announced yesterday that it will by the Minister of the Interior, Maria
presented of Europer’s activities. open its first premises in the cities of Éibar, Tolosa, Irun and Vitoria. For its part Ángeles Leciñena, approved the
This new report includes a letter Kirol Jokoa will install its betting machines in various hotel and catering distribution of the profits derived
of introduction from the Director establishments at the same time as opening its own premises in San Sebastian, from the Lototrot and Promotrot
General of Gaming in Catalonia, Bilbao, Barakaldo, Santurtzi, Durango and Guernica. The premises will be betting systems over the last two
Merce Claramunt, in which she equipped with large screens on which will be broadcast not only sporting events years and at the same time,
highlighted the success in but also the betting predictions and the indicators associated with each registered the termination of the
disseminating the results of the prediction. With this equipment it is hoped that the people who are betting contract with the companies Cirsa
studies of the market conducted become immersed in the gaming and enjoy the match or the race in real time as SL and Troyjocs SL, charged with
for the 2007 yearbook "Rules of happens with such traditional sports as Pelota. The third licensee Garaipen the operation and development of
Gaming" published by the Victoria Apostuak, announced through its Marketing Director, Emma Mateos, this kind of horse racing betting.
association. More than one that the approval process for its machines will soon be complete. In any case, The decision of the Consorcio del
hundred and fifty businessmen everyone agrees that this kind of business should be considered as an Joc was expected by everyone after
and associates attended the meal. alternative form of leisure to be conducted in meeting places where "people can receiving a letter signed by Josep
In his speech, Albert Solá, meet, study the predictions and place their bets, it should be a medium for fun Vitó, manager of the company
President of Europer, stressed the rather than just a business "transaction", motivated merely by financial gain". operating the Lototrot, driven by the
need to support the campaigns for Executive of the autonomous
Responsible Gaming promoted by government, which warned that 'it
the General Directorate of Gaming
in Catalonia, whilst at the same Edmundo Ahijon bids farewell
would remove all machines in the
coming days' if they persisted in
time insisting that there must be a refusing to observe that they can
more determined effort to act
A
fter several years in office, Edmundo Ahijón is ceasing as Director only be installed in a place that
against illegal and unregulated General for the Planning and Management of Gaming in the Madrid allows this business to be profitable:
games, such as gaming on the Autonomous Government. The reason is none other than the disbanding namely the bars and restaurants.
Internet, which is leading to far of the department, from now on its functions will be included within "As up to now we have received no
greater addiction than the games those of the General Directorate of Taxes headed by Fernando Prats information regarding the possibility
played on traditional machines. Máñez. Such is the way that the Madrid Autonomous Government is of obtaining approval for their
According to Albert Solá, "Europer continuing to prune its organizational structure. With the removal of five installation in bars and cafes," says
considers that the legal and other general departments belonging to the Ministry of Economic Affairs Vitó, "and being close to the expiry
regulated games rigorously satisfy and Finance, 11 departments have been disbanded already. All this with of the licence, on July 28th this year,
the requirements set by the the loss, according to the Executive itself, of 147 positions of trust and this is why we are now informing
administration, but it does not predicted savings of at least 8.3 million each year. Over the last two years you that assuming that the Balearic
however think that adequate the Madrid Directorate of Gaming has been in the eye of the storm for its Government does not give such
measures are being taken to stop lack of diligence in dealing with the legislative reforms demanded by the permission, then Cirsa Interactive
the new forms of gaming that fall professionals in the gaming industry in order to adapt to the new Corp. S.L. - Troyjocs S.L. will not
outside the regulations and pose a circumstances created by the emerging markets. Apart from the have their licence extended". The
social and business risk by being legalization of betting, the remaining Regulations are continuing with the cause of all the problems stemming
potentially more addictive". legal procedures for their approval which means putting a brake on the from this initiative - according to the
Likewise he demanded that development of the sector. It is difficult to predict what effect these licence holders - is the same as it
private and public gaming be changes will have in the future on the companies operating in this has always been. "Where the sales
treated in the same way, and that Autonomous Region, likewise the extent, as yet unknown, of the new are made today - tobacconists and
the information about addiction strategy to be followed by the newly created Dirección General de Tributos bureaux de change offices - are not
that is being presented to the y Ordenación y Gestión del Juego - General Directorate of Taxes and the most appropriate channels,”
public should be more precise, in Planning and Management of Gaming. During his time in office, Edmundo said a source. “If the licence were for
order to avoid confusion and Ahijón always maintained a professional relationship and dialogue with sales within the catering domain it
discrimination against a totally the people representing the gaming industry. His final act as head of the would make it possible to recover
legal and standardised sector. department was at the last COFAR Congress. some of these losses in the long
run".
26
SEPTEMBER 2008
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