The Betting Houses Platforms of the County of Pamplona were presented on Tuesday in public after meeting with the Government of Navarra. It brings together platforms that have emerged in many neighborhoods and villages of the Comarca of Pamplona and the concern for the proliferation of these premises has led them to unite to act with voice. It consists of local platforms of Huarte, San Jorge, Ermitagaka-Oeste, Egüés Valley, Berriozar, Txantrea, Rochapea and San Juan, and it has the advice of the Association of Ludopaes of Navarra Aralar.

Representatives of Berriozar, Egüés, Huarte, Txantrea and Aralar attended the meeting last Tuesday, while the Government of Navarra was represented by the first vice-president, Javier Remírez.

After the meeting, to the Plaza del Casco Viejo de Pamplona! in the community centre, representatives of all the groups announced contact with the government. They valued the "good sensations" that were left at the first meeting, but stressed their willingness to "move from words to concrete facts and solve this problem", such as "raising awareness and raising taxes on these businesses".

In addition, they have expressed their desire to participate in the presentation of the Parliament of Navarre dealing with betting houses. Spokespersons Hodei Aranguren and Unai Jiménez have stated that "in this report we have to be yes or yes, we have to talk about prevention, timetables and taxation".

The platform defined its two lines of action, with the objective of "raising awareness and ending the life of these businesses". In addition, they indicated that they are "willing to help any person or group who wants to set up a fight against these businesses, both in Pamplona and throughout Navarra". "An organized neighborhood can achieve small victories, many organized neighborhoods can get a big one," they said.

Both speakers have also announced a day of mobilisation for next year, within the framework of the Social Forum. "We call on the whole of society to participate and mobilise in the events scheduled for 8 February in Pamplona," they said, adding that in the coming days they will give more details about these protests.

In the region of Pamplona, Noáin was the first to approve the municipal ordinance against the proliferation of betting houses. It was followed by Antsoain and Huarte, and now it is Berriozar's turn. In other localities, such as Pamplona or the Egüés Valley, extensions have taken place.

Since the end of October, a commission has been set up in the Parliament of Navarre to deal with the regulation of betting houses in the Foral Community. The paper was created on the initiative of Left-Ezkerra and was chaired by Simon's Marisa parliamentarian, who also presented the proposal. The initial objective of the organ is to limit as much as possible the damage caused by the dependence that produces severe pathological gambling. The first meetings will begin on Friday, and in January it is scheduled to meet with social groups in the Lower House.

On Tuesday, Left-Ezkerra already recorded two amendments to the draft tax measures submitted by the Government of Navarra to deal with the increase in these businesses. The first proposal is to introduce a new tax rate of 75% for companies which have sports betting as their social purpose. The second amendment proposes to bring forward an exercise (from 1 January 2020 to 1 January 2019) to eliminate tax deductions for sponsorship contracts that promote gambling.