Huge tax collection with zero disincentive effectiveness; need for greater protection and rehabilitation assistance

Abstract

Since gambling was liberalized in Spain with the arrival of Democracy, the regulation developed has been cumbersome, complex and confusing; receiving constant criticism from the agents involved (both operators and players and associations in the sector) for considering it restrictive (in terms of freedom of establishment and tax competition), discriminatory (for private gambling compared to public gambling), ineffective (to control the growing “online” gambling) and insufficient (in relation to the destination of resources obtained to help mitigate its harmful effects). It seems a certain fact that the increasing taxation levied on gambling (both at the state and regional level), and which reports a huge collection to the Administration, does not produce any disincentive effect nor does it have a minimally proportional transfer to implement protective measures and aid for rehabilitation. Something is wrong?