Slot Machines
Slots in Catalonia, Spain, will now display health warnings, in a new project funded by the region’s government. The Guardian has reported that every 30 minutes, slots in casinos in Catalonia will display a health warning, suggesting the amount of time the player has been wagering on the slot. Video lottery terminals, which are essentially slot machines, will also turn themselves off after 90 minutes of consecutive gameplay.
The regional government has also introduced new signage on the casino games, which indicate that players have the potential to become addicted to them. Speaking to The Guardian, Mercedes Claramunt, the director general for gambling and entertainment in the Catalonian government, has suggested that “the message is that too much gambling can create addiction”. While the authorities don’t wish to deter players from enjoying wagering on slots, they do wish to highlight issues which affect a small minority of gamblers.
Claramunt has praised Catalonia’s project, suggesting that “there is no other scheme like this in Europe”. Gambling in Spain is incredibly popular, with residents spending on average £500 a year on lotteries, sports bets and casino games. The state also benefits from the interest in gambling, with the Spanish government recouping £800 million from Spain’s largest lottery, El Gordo.
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