Portugal considers online gambling ban amid coronavirus state of emergency
Government introduces public health legislation which could prohibit online casino during Covid-19 lockdown
The Portuguese government has published legislation that imposes a partial or total ban on online gambling for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.
Government bill 326/XIV/1 was introduced to counter “unlimited and uncontrolled” access to online gambling sites by Portuguese players affected by the country’s lockdown measures.
It includes language which states “partial or total limitations on access to online gambling are established until the end of the period relating to the state of emergency, with a view to protecting consumers”.
However, the bill does not state the specifics on the limitations which may be introduced or indeed if the ban will be a total or partial one, limited to specific verticals.
The Portuguese government declared a state of emergency last month in order to fully combat the coronavirus pandemic.
The bill claims players will exhibit less impulse control as a result of the measures and may be drawn into at-risk gambling habits as a result of both this and the financial consequences of the lockdown.
Government data has revealed online gambling platform usage and average daily revenue has increased by 18% year-on-year as a result of the closure of Portugal’s land-based casinos, with online casino average daily revenue up 24%.
“This behaviour is potentially aggravated by the fact that people have more time at home, in a period of high emotional demand, often in an isolation accentuated social situation, with great uncertainty at levels as important as the people’s economic and financial stability,” the bill explains.
Portugal’s neighbour Spain recently stopped short of banning online gambling due to the coronavirus pandemic, instead instituting a wide-ranging ban on gambling advertising for the duration of the crisis.