FULL REPORT! Opening hours, ATMs and loans: the keys to the reform of the Gambling Law of Castilla y León analysed by its Economic and Social Council
The advisory body endorses strengthening the protection of the player, but questions that the reform is included in the law accompanying the budgets.
The Economic and Social Council of Castilla y León has issued its Preliminary Report IP 6/26, unanimously approved on September 17, 2026, on the Draft Law on Tax, Financial and Administrative Measures —the law accompanying the budgets of the Community for 2027—, the text of which includes a reform of Law 4/1998, of June 24, regulating Gambling and Betting in Castilla y León.
The Council states that, in its opinion, a modification of these characteristics "is not justified in any way" within a law to accompany the budgets, "especially taking into account the recent nature of Law 2/2024, of 15 March", which constituted the last reform of the aforementioned Law 4/1998. In addition, it warns that including non-tax matters such as gambling and betting prevents citizen participation and that of agents in the sector in the drafting of the regulation.
The first novelty affects the opening hours. The reform establishes that establishments will carry out their activity "in accordance with the commercial uses" of similar premises and, in any case, the authorized hours must guarantee a minimum period of opening to the public of eight hours a day, without prejudice to the limitations set by regulations. In addition, the doors of specific gambling and betting establishments must remain closed so that their elements "cannot be visible from the outside".
The second key is complementary services and ATMs. A new paragraph of Article 12 will allow the provision of complementary services to gambling in these premises – hotels, hospitality, entertainment or recreational activities and the provision of cash through ATMs or similar devices – but only when expressly provided for in the specific regulatory regulations. The Council stresses that such authorisation must ensure that such services are "always complementary".
In terms of loans, the reform extends the prohibition on granting loans to players – which already affected the owner companies – also to the staff in their service, something that the Council "values favourably". On the other hand, it considers "more doubtful" the possibility introduced of providing "any other form of financial assistance to players through devices or terminals" (authorisable only if provided for in the regulation), due to the risk of "a greater incentive to gambling".
The text also tightens the sanctioning regime: it extends the very serious infringement of Article 32(j) – which goes from referring to loans to include "credits, economic financing or delivery of money" – and incorporates two new very serious infringements (letters ñ and o), relating to the provision of complementary services and financial assistance that are not foreseen or authorised. The Council considers these measures to be "adequate".
According to the justification of the Draft Bill itself, the reform responds to "serious reasons of public interest" aimed at strengthening the protection of users, improving legal certainty and adapting the regulation to the evolution of the sector in line with responsible gambling policies.
SEE Preliminary Report IP 6/26 of the Economic and Social Council of Castilla y León on the Draft Law on Tax, Financial and Administrative Measures (entry date 2 September 2026; unanimously approved on 17 September 2026, at the request of the Ministry of Economy and Finance).
