The Spanish government is moving forward with its plans to overhaul player protection measures for online gambling users.
The Directorate General of the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ) is seeking to establish a centralised deposit limit system for players, set at €600 per day, €1,500 per week and €3,000 per month.
This would shake up current measures, which requires each operator to manage limits independently.
The regulatory project began in 2023 and is still pending final approval.
The plans include the ability for users to reduce limits or eliminate them, although the changes will not take effect until three days have passed and can only be modified once per quarter.
Alongside deposit limits, the DGOJ is also spearheading a new approach to monitoring problem gambling behaviours as part of the Royal Decree of gambling environments.
The regulator is working on the development of an AI-led responsible gambling algorithm that aims to trace live variable indicators of problem gambling risks.
The algorithm, which the DGOJ’s Directorate General Mikel Arana expects to be completed by March 2026, will be mandatory for all operators in the Spanish market. The DGOJ believes the project will make it the first European regulator to apply AI to customer interventions around gambling harm.
Balancing regulation and player experience
Although player protection measures are essential for operating within a regulated market, industry experts in Spain have warned that changes must be complemented by an efficient player experience.
Speaking at June’s Gaming in Spain conference, Jorge Hinojosa, Director General of Jdigital, said: “[Player protection reforms] have not been complemented, in my opinion, by policies to keep the market more competitive.”
Hinojosa emphasised that there needs to be recognition that operators, the DGOJ and the wider industry have a “common job” to ensure that Spain develops a stronger gambling market through measures such as allowing new modalities like live casino.
Esther Martin-Ortega, Head of Public Affairs and Sustainability at Flutter, echoed these sentiments, reiterating the need to keep the regulated Spanish market attractive given the looming threat of the black market – especially for young players using social media.
“There are influencers on gaming, and they always find a way of putting the advertising in front of you, and then they get the visibility they need,” she said.
“We have a generation of smartphone natives who check what’s going on on social media. Access for a consumer to the black market is much broader than ever.”
