/ Town Hall
Wednesday 30th May 2018
INFORMATIVE NOTE FROM THE LOCAL POLICE OF CALVIÀ
A BETTING HOUSE OF SANTA PONÇA FACES ITS CLOSING AND A FINE OF UP TO € 450,000 FOR ACCEPTING MINORS
The recreational and betting company allowed three youths to play electronic roulette in its establishment
The Local Police of Calvià located this weekend four minors inside a betting house in Sta. Ponça, of whom three were playing electronic roulette. The premises businessman has been denounced for a very serious infraction for allowing the practice of games to minors, as stipulated in article 28k of the Gaming and Betting Law 8/2014 of 1st August in the Balearic Islands.
Local agents have forwarded the Minutes to the General Directorate of Commerce and Business, of the Regional Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Industry of the Balearic Islands, so the company faces a penalty ranging from 30,001 to 450,000 euros. In addition, as it is a very serious infraction, and depending on other circumstances, article 33 of the aforementioned Law could be applied and revoke the authorisations obtained by the infringing person or even the closing or final closure of the gambling establishment.
The action is part of the campaign promoted by the Calvià Town Hall's Activities Committee in September 2017. In recent months, the Local Police has carried out an exhaustive monitoring of the activity that takes place in the 12 betting houses registered as gambling rooms by the Regional Ministry of Labour, Commerce and Industry of the Balearic Islands and that appear on its website. Precisely, the Calvià Town Hall is working in a coordinated manner with the aforementioned Regional Ministry.
The objective is to verify that they comply with the regulations, especially with regards to timetables and the admission of minors. According to the ordinance regulating the closing hours of establishments and public entertainment of Calvià Town Hall's recreational activities, this type of premises can open from 12 noon until 4 in the morning.
During the month of February, agents of the Local Police of Calvià wrote the Minutes of 6 reports for breaching closing hours. In these cases, the fine is € 1,000 if the breach is less than 1 hour and € 3,000 if the breach is superior to 1 hour. Given this situation, and with the intention of avoiding the presence of young people in these establishments, Calvià Town Hall considers the possibility of shortening the opening and closing hours in this type of premises.
Also last February, three minors were located inside a betting room in Palmanova, which was also sanctioned for this reason. In addition, those responsible for the competent Regional Ministry were informed that there was a possible breach of the opening and operation conditions of a betting room in the residential area of Palmanova, in particular for not meeting the regulatory distance of 100 metres with a children's playground.
On the other hand, at the end of April, the National Police sealed a betting house located in Punta Ballena St. in Magaluf, since it was possible to demonstrate that the information provided to the Regional Ministry of Labour, Commerce and Industry of the Balearic Islands, to obtain the relevant authorisation, was not true.
