Barcelona Considers Gaming Hall Restrictions
Author:
Jacob McKenzie
In L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, a municipality of Barcelona, Spain, local government recently worked through proposed changes to gambling hall regulations in its borders. However, despite interest and support for the changes, their work was ultimately overturned by a decision made in Catalonia’s Super Court. The ruling does face an additional appeal, so it is uncertain as of yet whether the municipal government will be forced to accept this as a final decision.
If a proposed change takes effect in Barcelona, gaming establishments might have to relocate further away from educational facilities.
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What happened with gambling rules in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat?
L’Hospitalet de Llobregat — known as L’Hospitalet or L’H — is a Spanish municipality, which can be found southwest of Barcelona’s urban center. It is technically under the control of the autonomous Catalonian governance. L’Hospitalet has an interesting history as a city designed primarily to house members of Spain’s immigrant population.
L’H now has a population of over 275,000 people, with a significant number coming from outside of Spain, though not all. Some of the most common local communities are Moroccan, Bolivian and Honduran, among others.
The municipality made news this month when it sought to impose stricter regulations on gaming hall locations within its borders. The local government proposed further distances between gambling establishments and all educational facilities, like primary schools.
The government had looked into two different distance options — 800 meters (the equivalent of about 874 yards) for educational facilities and 450 meters (nearly 500 yards) for other special buildings. These would include places that minors are likely to frequent, like community centers, and perhaps also religious buildings.
If accepted, this ruling would have meant that existing establishments that were located nearer to a school than the new regulated distance would have to close or relocate, and that new establishments within that distance would not be given license to operate. The municipal government was well on its way to put this new distance into effect, though existing establishments would have likely been given some time to account for the new ruling.
The Barcelona City Council was the one to ultimately approve the proposed change for the L’H area. However, they reached a major snag in the court system. The matter was brought to the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia, which on March 21st ruled that the council had acted outside of its powers in approving the gaming regulation change.
The ruling was made based on the fact that the Generalitat de Catalunya had already set out the approved distance (which is only 100 meters, or 109 yards) for both educational and other special facilities within existing gambling regulations.
Therefore, they ruled that the Barcelona City Council could not make a further regulation on the matter. To do so would undermine the ruling of the overarching Catalonian government and its approach to gambling within its territory.
Furthermore, the ruling stated that the city council cannot make a decision like this, which is connected to urbanism and ordinance, when it has already been determined regionally. The case was brought forward by an employee association in Catalonia. It is possible those who complained are people like gaming hall staff who would have been most negatively affected by the new local ruling.
The story is not over yet, though. The case will face an additional appeal in the Supreme Court. Only then will it be certain whether Barcelona’s City Council may move forward with their plan or if they will be forced to abandon ship.
Meanwhile, Catalonia may still consider the development of its own “Las Vegas” – a mega resort and casino complex that has been in discussion in the area for many years. Development has been postponed several times for various reasons, but there was still significant interest in the concept within the local government when it was last proposed.
