New Gambling Rules in Spain Could Clamp Down on the Industry

Gambling has always been a popular activity in Spain, and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs is likely to provide players with what it views as a better environment as it prepares new rules. With them, not only will the gambling industry be regulated more, but it will also include numerous safeguards that are designed to make sure that gamblers have a more pleasant experience.

A new decree is likely to order the DGOJ (Spain’s gambling regulatory body) to amend the Spanish Gambling Law 2011 and thus, improve it so that customers will be better protected. Whether the actions hit their mark remains to be seen.

Details About the New Law

As the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has stated, the gambling industry in Spain requires modernization so that it can protect people of all ages. Not only that, but the new rules will also control licensed operators in a much better way and will improve their reports on how customers are monitored. This is an extremely important aspect, as it sheds light on gambling disorders.

The decree itself is set to have three policies. The first one is informative and contains valuable information on the safeguards. The second one details all of the obligations of the casinos, and finally, the third policy is created to protect consumers from problem gambling.

With this decree, the time that visitors spend playing casino games will also be monitored and, with the safety approach, it will become illegal for operators to motivate players to play more and thus, spend more money.

These regulations also concern online casinos that are operating in Spain. Online operators will require players to set their maximum spending amount during each session, which is at least 24 hours. And when it comes to betting on sports online, players will have to set their betting limits, as well.  In both cases, limits have to be set each time a gambling session is initiated. Additionally, two back-to-back sessions would carry additional messages for the player, implementing a “Big Brother’s watching” approach to online activity.  

Furthermore, online operators will have to send reports that contain data on how much time their customers have spent gambling. They will also be required to include links that will shed light on how to gamble safer, and high-risk players will not be able to sue their credit cards to deposit or withdraw funds from their accounts.

New Regulations are Needed

The reason why the new decree has been proposed is that gambling in Spain has been on the rise recently. That concerns the Spanish online casino industry. Statistics have shown that the online casino industry had massive growth in 2020 and the need for better regulation is now a must, according to lawmakers and regulators.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs believes that the new decree will set a new environment in which both the players will be protected and the industry itself will be regulated in a much more effective way.