FIVE MONTHS after the Kiroljokoa, Ekasa and Garaipen companies were awarded the only three licences and the systems, betting machines and premises, the Basque Government's Department of Gaming and Entertainment has not yet approved the systems for them to start offering their stakes to those who are interested.

Andemar-Catalonia is an association which defends the interests of private gaming in Catalonia and in particular those of the amusement sector. This year marks the 25th anniversary of its foundation.

Hyperlink is the Acumulado (progressive jackpot) system for arcades designed by IPS (Informatica Programas Serveis). It has the largest number of interconnected machines in the country, with more than 700 units spread over more than 90 arcades. It seems like only yesterday and yet a year has already passed since the Adeslink company took the decision to launch the Primer Acumulado in the arcades in Spain. At that time this was a bold gamble for a gaming system that had never been tried before in our country.

IN parallel with the increase in its capital, ILD has formed the management company ILD Spain, which will have its head office in Tokyo. The British investment fund company Development Capital Management (DCM) has underwritten an increase in capital amounting to 40 million euros in International Leisure Development (ILD), the development consortium behind the Gran Scala leisure and gaming complex , which is planned to be built in the Los Monegros region of Aragon in Spain.

This company, which specialises in providing financial solutions for businesses and businessmen within the gaming sector, has its headquarters in Germany and has a direct presence in various countries with branches that operate autonomously, in each case applying the criteria that are most suitable for each market.

The CIRSA company has taken an important step in achieving its business aspirations by becoming the communist Government’s technological partner for the introduction of the popular game of Bingo into the country.

The portal of the 10a1.com betting company has more than 10,000 active clients and expects to finish the year with gross sales of 26 million euros, according to its Director General, Xavier González at its latest press conference, during which the new projects being planned by this pioneering Spanish on-line betting company were presented.

The Senate Commission for Economic Affairs and Finance has asked the Government to work on a law to regulate the gaming and betting services provided via electronic media and, in particular, the Internet, and cited by way of reference the fact that other countries in the European Union already have legislation and standards in place to regulate this activity.

The Director General of the Department of Interior of the Principality of Asturias, Julian González, has recently held meetings with representatives of AERPA (Asociación de Empresas Recreativas) - the Association of Amusement Companies and ASEBI (Asociación de Empresas del Juego de Bingo) - the Association of Bingo Companies.

The Private Gaming Industry in Spain contributed more than Euros 1,703 million to the Spanish State in 2006. This amount comes from the taxes on gaming, duties and surcharges, and other taxable events related to each of the Private Gaming sub-sectors (casinos, bingo halls, amusement machines, and lotteries and raffles) in 2006.

Eight companies are hoping to win the three licences to run the commercial betting operation in the Basque Country. This data was revealed by the Department of the Interior in an official notice issued on 6th July.

FB Metronia has equipped the first Bingo Hall in Belgium. This Madrid-based company has been responsible for the installation and equipping of the first establishment of its kind to operate in Belgium.

The Spanish Council of Ministers has authorised the withdrawal of the sum of Euros 577,482.72 from the Contingency Fund, of which Euros 505,547.53 is destined to pay the fines issued by the Supreme Court for the additional tax levied on gaming. After many years of litigation, several sentences from the Supreme Court have ordered the State Administration to make this payment to those who appealed against this tax which was created in 1990.

It has become a tradition now during the summer dinner which is organised each year by the Europer Association, for the annual report of the trade body’s activities to be presented.

The report this year included a letter of introduction from the new Director General of Gaming in Catalonia, Merce Claramunt.

In the first 38 days of its operation, the implementation of the system designed by the Catalan company IPS, known as Hyperlink and managed by the Adeslink company, has been able to connect into its system 49 arcades with 401 interconnecting machines.

The Spanish Association for Internet Betting – AEDAPI (Apostadores Deportivos por Internet), only recently formed in Spain, has appointed Laura Guillot as the Association’s new Head of Communications. Guillot, aged 46 years, has a law degree from the University of Barcelona and has a master’s degree in International commerce and law and another in information technology and communication.

In November last year the Orenes Group and the Betbull company signed a joint-venture agreement for the development of retail betting activities throughout the whole of Spain.

With this aim in mind both companies have recently formed a company to handle the retail betting operation within the Madrid autonomous region. The new company, called Orenes Betbull SA, will have an initial capital of two million Euos. The presentation took place in Madrid on June 12.

Cirsa Business Corporation and Casino Club have signed a global strategic agreement for the management and future development of the casino business in the key markets of Buenos Aires and Rosario. Likewise, both parties will collaborate in any future operation in Argentina that falls within the realms of gaming. In this way, Cirsa is consolidating its presence and expansion in that market.

The Spanish Tax Authority is investigating the flourishing business of on-line betting.

According to Ministry sources, “Although data is being collected no concrete measures have been taken yet.” But what is certain is that the activity of these companies, which the State General Budget for 2007 has declared illegal, is being watched.

Adeslink, has successfully initiated its service to interconnect arcades and a large number of machines have been connected in record time. Adeslink is the trade name created and registered by Andaluza de Desarrollos Electrónicos, S.A. for the interconnection of Gaming arcades and machines.

Although it seems that there is no more space for any new associations within the gaming sector in Spain, reality always comes as a surprise. The latest to join the lists is ACORDJOC (Catalan Association of Gaming Operators). AcordJoc has been formed with the objective of satisfying the requirements of the small and medium-sized companies within the amusement sector.

The new regulation on arcades, which has the approval of the representatives from the companies in the sector, has been approved by the Consell Valencia, after receiving a favourable report from the Consell Jurídic Consultiu, and also the approval of the Autonomous Commission on Gaming.

This year Madrid has started the process of legalising its betting business. Madrid initiated the process on January 8, but as yet no one group of companies has appeared with a guaranteed income of Euros 12 million, the amount needed to become the operator of this type of gaming.