The DGOJ, or General Directorate for the Regulation of Gambling, has imposed fines totaling €77 million. These fines target 14 online gambling operators found to be offering gambling services without a license. This latest round of penalties is part of the regulator’s ongoing efforts to crack down on unlicensed gambling and protect the regulated sector.
From €5 million to €10 million, the individual penalties ranged. The DGOJ fined one operator the maximum €10 million, citing more severe violations. Most of the other penalties were at the lower end of the scale.
The operators fined include 14 companies. These are Adonio, Chestoption, FGS Software, Group Game, Investan, and Lama Tech. Others are Magicwin Games Tech, Mibs, Pennytech, Spicyjackpots, Techsolutions, Tinietech, Winbet, and Wot. The regulator restricted them from operating on the Spanish online gambling market for two years.
A DGOJ spokesperson stressed that they will not hesitate to take firm action against companies that endanger consumers or operate outside the law, as they stated.
Online GGR or gross gambling revenue from the regulated Spanish industry reached a record €1.45 billion in the previous year. Outpacing Europe as a whole, that’s a rise of 17.6 per cent year-on-year.
Both online casino gaming, as well as online sports betting saw double-digit increases in revenue. Online casino revenue rose by 17 percent, reaching €730.7 million. Online betting revenue increased by 23.8 percent, totaling €608.9 million.
Experts expect Spain to introduce more measures for the regulated gambling market under the 2023 Royal Decree on Safer Gambling Environments. Proposed measures include cross-operator deposit limits of €600 per day or €1,500 per week. There are also plans to introduce promotional restrictions for those under 25 who lose more than €200.
In April, the DGOJ, together with financial institutions, repeated a warning about identity theft cases related to online gambling transactions. The regulator continues to receive complaints from players. These players have received fines or tax demands for accounts they were unaware of or did not control. According to DGOJ, criminals were exploiting ID verification protocols on online gambling platforms, as well as payment systems.
