Consumer protection and arousal to compulsive gambling linked to welcome bonuses by the online betting houses

The growth of online gambling in Spain in recent years is notorious, driven largely by the popularity and interest that sports events raise in our country. The flourishing of betting houses of all kinds is an undeniable fact, and as part of this deployment in the national market, there has been a situation of extraordinary competition in this sector. Advertising campaigns reach all kinds of media: written, television, radio and online. Such a wide field must assure an effective overview mechanism, given the fact that we are dealing with a subtle subject that has potential to affect the health of consumers. This paper aims to highlight the important troubles that "welcome bonuses” –since they act as a hook to attract new customers to the sports betting market– can show in the violation of two of the most fundamental principles of consumers law: the right to information and the right to health. Indeed, behind this initial hook, dark clauses pop up demanding a game frequency that can be dangerous to their health, approaching reportedly "high risk" behaviours. Public regulators have failed to provide a successful control over these promotions and how they are set up to the consumers, under the excuse of a diffuse concept of "responsible gambling" provided by the law, so poorly developed that it could be considered as a vague legal concept.