Portugal’s gambling authority, the Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos, or 'SRIJ', has issued six online gambling licenses since the market was opened a year ago to international operations. These licences were granted to just four companies and only five sites remain.

The Portuguese market had been considered one of considerable potential as, prior to regulation, it had been targeted by some of the big names in the global gambling industry and there had clearly been a great demand for online offerings.

The government is working to recover some of the money paid to EDP over the last 10 years in the complex ‘Costs for the Maintenance of Contractual Equilibrium’ scheme.

The accounts are not yet complete, but the numbers point to a credit of around €500 million with the government now waiting for a report from the Energy Regulator which is analysing the ‘excessive income’ that EDP has managed to accrue by stiffing its own customers.

Portuguese taxpayers’ bad debts have risen 34% in the past year with over half of the amount attributable to debts of €250,000 or more.

The amount that is considered ‘uncollectable’ at the end of April was €3.92 billion, according to Fernando Rocha Andrade, the head of Tax Affairs.

The 2017 International Boat Show starts on June 10th at Vilamoura Marina, ending on June 18th, where “the most luxurious boats currently on the market” are on display from leading companies.

As well as sleek and largely unaffordable yachts, unless you are in the millionaire class, there is plenty of food and drink choices in the marina’s dock-side restaurants and bars.

The Portuguese Consumer Protection Association (DECO) has issued a warning to anyone renting a holiday home in Portugal, beware of crime, especially on the Internet.

"Every year in the summer, we receive dozens of complaints about holiday home rental scams," said Ingride Pereira, a lawyer for Deco's consumer support office.

According to Pereira, most of the complaints received by Deco are related to the fact that the consumer pay to rent a house that does not exist or is nothing like it appeared in the online listing.

In addition to the government’s tax on sugar-laden soft drinks, the Health Minister is preparing a fiscal assault on junk food.
 
Portugal restaurateurs association, AHRESP, has called for an urgent meeting with Minister Adalberto Campos Fernandes, whose proposal to tax food with high levels of saturated fat and salt may affect their members’ profitability.

Five members of the Loulé housebreaking gang that operated between October 2015 and January this year have been charged by the Faro Public Prosecutor's Office and will be tried.

The defendants, aged between 22 and 28, dedicated themselves to robbing homes and commercial establishments in the Loulé area, especially in Almancil, many of them belonging to foreigners.

A  long-awaited project to build a new exhibition, fair and open market area in São Bartolomeu de Messines, Silves will see contractors start work on June 12th.

The €981,000 investment is planned to be completed within nine months.