Bet365, Betway, Codere Join Spain’s Jdigital, Trade Body Appoints CEO

Spanish online gambling trade body Jdigital has appointed institutional relations and corporate communication expert Andrea Vota as its new CEO and announced that three major gambling operators have joined its ranks.

During an extraordinary assembly, Jdigital approved a new organizational structure that will aim to reinforce the influence of the trade association at a time when the Spanish online gaming sector is facing a near-total ban on gambling ads.

The changes approved recently by Jdigital’s members include the creation of a CEO role and strengthening of the trade body’s Board of Directors with the addition of representatives from three large Spain-licensed gambling operators, with these being bet365, Betway, and Codere. They are joining the likes of Sportium, Flutter Entertainment, Botemania, GVC Holdings, William Hill, and Luckia as well as online gambling service providers Playtech and Paysafe.

With the newly adopted organizational structure, Jdigital’s Board of Directors will comprise a President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, and eight other members. All of these positions will be rotating and will change every three months.

Jdigital currently represents more than 80% of all locally licensed online gambling operators. The association was formed back in 2012 to replace AEDAPI as the official trade body of Spain’s online gambling sector.

Taking Charge at “Delicate Time for the Sector”

Jdigital’s inaugural CEO specializes in institutional relations and corporate communications and previously worked as a consultant at specialized consultancies such as Political Intelligence. He also formerly served as General Director of APRI (Asociación de Profesionales de las RRII) for five years and most recently as Director of Public Affairs and Communications at Circ, a Berlin-based micromobility company.

In addition, Mr. Vota is co-founder and president of Equoevento España, an NGO focused on reducing food waste at events.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Vota said that he is very happy to be able to use his knowledge and experience as the new CEO of Jdigital “at such a delicate time for the sector.”

He added that online gambling in Spain is facing important challenges and Jdigital will “fight with all available resources to reverse any foolish decision that may harm a safe and fully regulated sector.”

Mr. Vota’s appointment comes amid the sector’s growing discontent with a set of measures spearheaded by Spain’s consumer protection minister, Alberto Garzón, that aim to significantly limit gambling ads on television and other media.

The proposed restrictions successfully passed European Commission (EC) scrutiny earlier this month and Minister Garzón is now pushing to have them enforced by this coming October. If adopted, they would limit ads promoting gambling products and services on TV, radio, and online platforms to a four-hour window between 1 am and 5 am every day.

In a response to the EC, Jdigital said last week that the proposed measures were “disproportionate and unjustified” and were not backed by actual “data or studies.”

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