Spain has rejected Jdigital’s claims that its new gambling ads regulations are unconstitutional. The online gambling trade association’s complaint was launched following the passing of the Royal Decree that imposes strict restrictions on ads.

The Royal Decree was passed in November 2021, introducing major changes to how gambling advertisement is regulated. The new rules set a narrow window for the airing of gambling ads, allowing operators to advertise only between 1 am and 5 am.

The decree’s ultimate aim is to protect the Spanish public from being constantly bombarded with ads that encourage them to gamble.

This controversial ban was critiqued harshly by supporters of the gambling industry who claimed that it would cause more harm than good. Arguing that problem gambling is already on the decline, Jdigital insisted that the ban will only slow down the growth of Spain’s gambling industry.

In addition, Jdigital believed that Spain had bypassed important constitutional procedures when introducing the measure. The association was also uncertain whether the Ministry of Consumer Affairs could introduce such changes without certain amendments to the gambling law.

As a result, the trade union launched a formal appeal, hoping to overturn the decree. Unfortunately for the association, its appeal was rejected.

Jdigital Lost a Long and Hard Battle

After years of legal trouble, Jdigital’s appeal was reviewed by the Constitutional Court and promptly rejected. The court pointed out that the Ministry had, in fact, secured necessary amendments to the gambling law prior to adopting the new advertising changes.

The Constitutional Court unanimously rejected Jdigital’s appeal, dealing a major blow to the Spanish gambling industry and, according to Jdigital’s previous claims, making Spain less attractive to international companies.

In the meantime, Spain’s openly anti-gambling Minister of Consumer Affairs, Alberto Garzón, just exited politics. However, the industry should not celebrate yet as his successor’s stance on gambling is still unclear.

Garzón will be succeeded by Pablo Bustinduy who will step in as Minister of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030 – a new position that replaces the Minister of Consumer Affairs. Bustinduy has yet to talk about gambling in depth but has been accused of harboring extreme-left anti-capitalist sentiments.

While there is no clear indication that Bustinduy will be another adversary of Spain’s gambling industry, the industry fears that its hopes for a pro-gambling minister might have been dashed.

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Royal Caribbean International, a company that provides cruise ship travels and hospitality services, including on-board casinos, has decided against smoking onboard. This decision impacts three Oasis-class ships that have seen their jazz clubs converted into smoke-free casinos. Royal Caribbean previously decided to suspend smoking across its other ships back when COVID-19 was around as a measure to improve air filtration and suppress the virus’ chances of spreading.

Building the First Three Oasis Ship Casinos for Royal Caribbean

This happened during the ships’ last service, and the Oasis of the Seas Allure of the Seas, and Harmony of the Seas are ready to welcome all players who are interested in playing in a smoke-free environment. Smokers may still light up, but outside the premises and on the designated areas of the ship. Trimline project manager Billy Morton, whose company took care of the refurbishment and redesign of the sections of the ships, had this to say on the occasion of the latest conversions:

It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with Royal Caribbean on these conversions. The team has worked tirelessly to ensure that the work is delivered to the highest standards, and we are delighted with the results.

Trimline project manager Billy Morton

Each of the casinos has been called “Jazz on 4,” and they are advertised as clubs that feature a main show lounge. Royal Caribbean has done some meticulous planning to ensure that the redesigned spaces and areas would make sense and fit machines as well as sufficient amenities to make the experience rewarding for players.

The company has been also working with various third parties, including IT specialists and data experts to ensure that operations across the entire ship can continue as intended. Royal Caribbean is confident that the smoke-free casinos will lead to an even stronger customer experience and a greater level of satisfaction among customers staying onboard.

Casinos to Become More Permanent Part of the Cruise Experience

These three ships will now be the litmus test for Royal Caribbean. The company has other Oasis-class vessels it may experiment with, but for the time being, Symphony of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, and even the still-in-development Utopia of the Seas – are going to preserve their original look with no mentions of a casino.

However, the newest Oasis ship in the world, Wonder of the Seas already features a Golden Room by default, which is essentially the casino. In other words, cruise lines and the manufacturers of these ships may already be waking up to the fact that casinos could make a good hospitality experience for travelers on their ships. Royal Caribbean has also been expanding through some strategic purchases, including the buyout of Genting Group’s Endeavor cruise ship in 2022.

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The Royal Thai Police has been accused by a crime-fighting activist of running 70 percent of internet gambling businesses operating in Thailand.

The activist, Achariya Ruangrattanapong showed up at the police headquarters on Monday and publicly accused corrupt police officers of running illegal gambling that are rampant in Thailand.

Achariya displayed a banner to the media where he wrote names of the suspected corrupt police officers. He exposed only 16 officers out of the 100 he plans to reveal, promising to reveal the rest later.

Achariya was privy to the inner workings of the organizations and claims it is being run by a former head of police who delegates most of the works to police lieutenants-general.

The accusation comes in the wake of claims from another activist, Chuvit Kamolvisit, that senior police officers were involved in clandestine gambling operations.

These allegations are yet to be followed up by the authorities.

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