The Barcelona Ombudsman has asked the municipal authorities at the Fira de Barcelona to discuss the convenience of holding the Games, Casinos and Betting Fair in the next five years and, if necessary, to start negotiations to cancel or terminate the contract with the organizer early.
ICE Barcelona gave a tour to attendees to show its facilities, goodbye to other fairs in Spain.
This request arises from an ex officio action that the Ombudsman began in March, concluding that the council "does have legal tools" to avoid hosting the event. If it cannot be cancelled, the Ombudsman has proposed including a section on prevention and consumer protection.
In addition, it warned that the Department of Health only learned of the event through the media. The Ombudsman recalled that, last March, it began an ex officio action after learning that Barcelona would host the Games, Casinos and Betting Fair (known as ICE and iGB Affiliate) from January 20 to 22, 2025, with an annual program for five editions.
The council warned that it is an "evident contradiction that the council deploys a strong policy to combat gambling addiction while hosting and co-financing the largest world event aimed at professionals in the gambling, casino and betting sector."
The health department was not aware of this
On another issue, the council stated that when it began its ex officio action, it contacted the Department of Health, People with Disabilities and Strategy against Loneliness to find out about its role in the decision-making process to host this event in the city and what actions it had planned. It reported that it received a report from the council stating that they found out about the event through the media and considered that it should have been formally communicated "to the municipal bodies with direct interest."
