The Spanish Senate has approved a bill that would regulate Internet betting throughout the country.
The bill, presented by Spain's official Party, the Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE-Spanish Socialist Worker's Party), asked the Spanish government to support a European initiative to regulate Internet gambling internationally.
The proposal was supported by the Entesa Catalana de Progrés (Catalan Progress Accord) and the Convergence and Union (CiU-Spain's Democratic Party), while the conservative party, the Partido Popular (Popular Party), voted against the directive, supporting instead keeping Internet gambling regulation national.
While the Entesa Catalana del Progrés and CiU agreed with the legislation, all parties insisted on the need to control an industry that sees 500 million euros coming from Spain annually.