The government in Spain is beginning to recognize the benefits of tax breaks to the gaming industry.
The authorities in the Spanish government have begun to realize the high number of employees working within the gaming industry. It appears that they are willing to start working with the industry to help boost employment. A number of taxes on machines have been drastically reduced. This has been enacted in order to create a favorable environment for employers and employees. The objective is retention of staff in difficult economic times. As a result of the recent economic troubles, the Spanish government is relaxing the taxes that pulled as much as 50% out of the cash boxes.
Spanish Regulation over the Gaming Industry
Spain contains 17 partially autonomous areas. In 2 of them, Basque Country and Murcia, they have allowed the machines to link in to wide-area progressives. This is an attempt to help boost their performance and will help replenish their income. Valencia, another semi-autonomous region, has announced that it will be reducing the annual tax €400 to €3,200 on AWP machines. Another tactic has been used in Murcia. If the gaming operator maintains its employees, and machine operations for a full year, the annual tax will drop by €600 to just €3,000.
The Bingo in Spain
Spain also has a booming bingo industry. There are around 400 halls in operation, which is a reduction of some 30 from 2011. The bingo industry has benefited from these tax breaks as well. Of the 17 provinces, 4 have changed the way they tax bingo cards. One province, Catalonia, has come up with a different solution. It offers a variety of additional games. This reduces the tax to 15% of the face value of a card – a reduction of a whopping 10%. Many observers in the industry say these actions have protected many jobs and helped build a stronger national economy.
