This is a guest contribution by Natalia Sketchley. If you would like to submit a contribution please contact Bill Beatty for submission details. Thank you.

This month, the European Commission stated no objections to new Spanish advertising restrictions on gambling brands, leading a path to one of the most restrictive crackdowns. Spain’s Consumer Affairs Minister, Alberto Garzón, wants to impose a near total-ban on gambling advertising, restricting ads on TV, radio, and online platforms to between 1 and 5am. In addition, gambling sponsorships of sports teams, leagues, and events will be banned (completely changing the landscape of La Liga), as well as welcome bonuses and celebrity endorsements.

And while this will only apply to Spain starting in October most likely, other countries may also start to consider similar legislation as they see an increase in iGaming and gambling due to the current pandemic. For example, Australia has seen a large spike in online gambling causing concern to a few in Parliament. The U.K. has also toyed with getting rid of betting logos on Premier League kits. And it’s not too far off field to think that others will look to Spain’s new legislation and monitor its successes and failures.

But where does this leave the industry? How can it survive such limiting conditions? Well, it will have to get creative. And quickly. Read below for some steps to consider in repositioning branding and digital marketing in the industry.