Residents of the San García neighborhood in Algeciras have launched a signature collection campaign to try and halt the opening of a new gaming hall. The establishment will be located directly beneath the private nursery school Colors and just 350 meters from the public school Caetaria, causing considerable concern within the community.
“"It's not that we don't care, but it's not in our hands to prohibit it. We have requested it on repeated occasions."
The Councillor for Urban Planning of the Algeciras City Council, Yéssica Rodríguez, has expressed the council's helplessness in this situation. She explained that local councils lack the authority to deny such licenses, as the regulation of gaming halls is governed by a higher-ranking regional law. The councillor acknowledged sharing the residents' concerns.
Decree 161/2021 of the Junta de Andalucía stipulates a minimum distance of 150 meters between gaming halls and non-university educational centers. However, this regulation only protects centers that provide "regulated and compulsory education." Since the Colors nursery school caters to children under three, a non-compulsory stage of education, the future gaming hall does not violate current law.
Izquierda Unida Algeciras has formally requested the opening license file to verify compliance with child protection regulations. Local coordinator, Purificación Alonso, believes that the opening would "contravene current legislation" on childhood matters, despite the nursery school's exemption. The political group has supported the neighborhood initiative, calling the alarm generated "reasonable."
This debate is not unique to Algeciras. The proliferation of betting shops and gaming halls near educational centers and areas frequented by young people is a constant across Andalusia. In 2022, the then Minister of Finance of the Junta, Juan Bravo, stated that there were no "sufficient reasons" to extend the minimum distance of 150 meters, leaving the responsibility with the regional government.
Other autonomous communities have adopted more restrictive measures. The Valencian Community, since 2020, requires a minimum distance of 850 meters between gaming establishments and sensitive centers, while the Canary Islands increased it to 300 meters in 2024. Attempts by Andalusian city councils, such as those in Cádiz and Alcalá de Guadaíra, to modify their urban plans to increase these distances have been challenged and overturned by the Junta de Andalucía and the courts, arguing that gaming regulation is a regional competence.
Beyond legal aspects, the neighborhood's concern is rooted in public health risks. Mental health and addiction specialists warn that early exposure to gambling significantly increases the risk of developing addictive behaviors, with severe economic, personal, and emotional consequences. In many neighborhoods of Algeciras and the Campo de Gibraltar, these establishments are the first businesses young people encounter after leaving high school, highlighting the need to review urban and social priorities.
