Spain is one step closer to enacting new online gambling legislation after the Spanish cabinet approved the draft law so despised by industry associations. From here, the bill travels to Congress on Tuesday, then on to the Senate and finally to the European Commission by June or July. If all goes according to plan, the new law will be in place by year’s end. There’s still no confirmation on which taxation model is in the draft — the turnover model favored by the state, or the gross profit plan favored by everybody else. What sort of threat will now be issued by Spanish footballers is anybody’s guess.
Irish payment processor Realex has announced a deal with 188Bet. Realex will provide the Isle of Man-based gaming outfit with payment options across channels, currencies, regions and card types. Other firms that signed Realex deals over the past year include 32Red, Cryptologic and Boylesports.
With profits from spread betting currently not taxable in the UK, it’s no surprise that (a) over 1m Brits have opened such an account, and (b) the percentage of spread betting transactions made via mobile device leapt five-fold last year. SportsSpread.com is keen to raise similar levels of awareness in Ireland. The Emerald Isle’s only sports spread betting firm is using rugby’s Six Nations Championship to get Irish punters, er, spreading. SportsSpread is offering free entry into a Six Nation-themed competition starting with Italy v. Ireland on Saturday. The company will issue predictions on Winning Margin and Total Match Points, upon which contestants will decide whether to buy (take the over) or sell (take the under). Contestants will be issued €100 by the company and permitted to make €1 bets on each market. Winnings are the contestant’s to keep, everyone has a shot at sharing a €1,500 prize pool, and no contestant will be forced into a scrum and kicked in the goolies by a hulking, half-mad Welshman. Unless, you know, you’re into that sort of thing.
