Valencia Debates Betting Proximity to Schools via Popular Initiative

Bring back into the public debate in the Cortes of Valencia the issue of betting houses and their proximity to educational centers, especially institutes, and demonstrate through citizen participation that the population rejects these locations near schools. This is the objective of Compromís, which announced yesterday its plan to present a Popular Legislative Initiative against the policy changes accompanying the new regional government. The planned measures would again allow renewal of licenses without obeying the existing distance rule of at least 850 meters from educational facilities and would once more permit the installation of gaming machines, a practice that has been restricted since the five-year moratorium established when the law was enacted in 2020 and which prohibited granting new powers in this area. This stance was articulated at a press conference where the Compromís Ombudsman in the Cortes, Juan Baldoví, and the spokesperson in Valencia, Papi Robles, spoke to reporters. Baldoví emphasized that the law approved by Botànic had previously removed gambling businesses from training centers, and that current supporters, including those aligned with PP and Vox, appear to be reversing that protection by listening to commercial interests rather than involving the public in a transparent decision-making process. He argued that the current law on protective measures effectively allows companies to establish betting venues near schools and institutes, reflecting the wishes of business interests more than the interests of the communities affected. The legal framework referenced, Law 10/2017, sets out that a popular legislative initiative requires ten thousand signatures to be considered for implementation, with a minimum of three individuals needed to initiate the process. The timetable provides eight months for gathering the necessary signatures. The organizers indicated their intention to mobilize a broad network of associations and civil society organizations to ensure that this initiative re-enters the policy conversation that has been muted by the actions of PP and Vox, and they expressed confidence that broad participation will lead to a more informed and legitimate debate that weighs public health, education quality, and community wellbeing against commercial interests. In articulating the rationale behind the initiative, advocates highlighted that the presence of gaming spaces in close proximity to schools can influence young people’s behavior and perceptions of gambling, and they argued for a policy framework that prioritizes preventive health measures and the safety of students and teachers. They also underscored the need for clear, enforceable distance requirements that communities can monitor and that authorities can reliably enforce, rather than a system subject to shifts in political leadership or lobbying pressure. The public policy question at the heart of the plan concerns whether regulation should be tightened to reflect concerns about youth exposure to gambling, or whether regulatory flexibility should prevail to accommodate varied economic interests. Supporters maintain that the choices made should be grounded in robust evidence about risk factors and the long-term impact on educational outcomes, while opponents claim that overly restrictive rules could hamper local development and burden smaller operators. The debate also touches on how municipalities interpret and apply the distance provisions, how licensing bodies conduct compliance checks, and how penalties are defined and enforced for violations. By invoking the Popular Legislative Initiative mechanism, Compromís seeks to reframe the discussion around the balance between commercial activity and social responsibility, inviting citizens to participate directly in shaping the law and ensuring that the voices of teachers, parents, students, and neighborhood residents are reflected in any revision of the rules governing the placement of gaming venues near educational centers. The party’s strategy appears to rely on mobilizing grassroots support, cultivating alliances with civic groups that share concerns about youth exposure to gambling, and presenting a clear, actionable pathway for restoring the protections that were cited as being rolled back by the previous majority. As the eight-month window for signature collection unfolds, observers will watch how effectively this broader coalition can translate public sentiment into concrete political pressure, potentially influencing the shape of the forthcoming reforms and the public discourse surrounding gambling regulation in the Valencian community as it moves toward the Cortes plenary session. The overall aim remains to reaffirm the principle that the safety and educational integrity of schools and institutes should take precedence, ensuring that licensing decisions reflect community values and expert assessments of risk, rather than serving as a conduit for profit-driven interests that may undermine youth welfare and institutional authority. In sum, the proposed ILP represents an attempt to reassert citizen sovereignty in a policy area with tangible consequences for families, schools, and neighborhoods, inviting ongoing civic engagement and a careful examination of how best to protect young people while maintaining fair, transparent, and practical regulatory mechanisms in the broader landscape of Valencian politics.