SPAIN Law and Practice Contributed by: Alla Serebrianskaia, Marta de Francisco, Sara Lao and Laura Llorca, Asensi Abogados
Asensi Abogados Avenida Jaime III 1 Primera Planta 07012 Palma de Mallorca Islas Baleares Spain
Tel: +34 971 909 219 Fax: +34 871 954 347 Email: info@asensi.es Web: www.asensi.es
1. Introduction 1.1 Current Outlook and Recent Changes Spain has a regulated gambling framework that is constantly evolving, aimed at: • strengthening player protection; • safeguarding public order; and • preventing addictive behaviour, fraud and money laundering. With regard to the recent changes in the sector, it is important to distinguish between those that have occurred at the federal level related to online gambling and those that have taken place at regional levels con- cerning land-based gambling. Federal Developments At the federal level, 2025 has brought several notewor- thy developments. Building on the existing regulatory framework, the focus of the Spanish gambling authori- ty has shifted towards implementing new mechanisms to further strengthen responsible gambling, enhance player protection, and ensure the integrity of the sec- tor. Mechanism for detecting risky user behaviour In August 2025, the General Directorate for Gambling Regulation ( Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego , or DGOJ) published a Draft Resolution estab- lishing a standardised mechanism for detecting risky gambling behaviour among users. This initiative stems from the obligations set out in the Spanish Gambling
Act ( Ley 13/2011, de 27 de mayo, de regulación del juego) , and Royal Decree 176/2023 ( Real Decreto 176/2023, de 14 de marzo, por el que se desarrollan entornos más seguros de juego ) on the creation of safer gambling environments. The mechanism, soon to become mandatory for all licensed operators, introduces common criteria and thresholds for identifying users at risk and allowing for consistent categorisation. Protocol for victims of identity theft on gambling platforms (“PACS Protocol”) In collaboration with the Spanish Tax Agency and law enforcement, the DGOJ developed a protocol to assist taxpayers whose identities were fraudulently used on gambling platforms. After identifying several operational inefficiencies, a new model was launched in April 2025. It includes a players’ portal allowing citizens to securely down- load transaction reports, simplified communication procedures (operators now send certificates only to the affected person), and a standardised template to harmonise reporting. These improvements aim to sim- plify processes and strengthen protection for victims of identity theft. Draft General Law on Customer Services Following the Supreme Court’s Ruling 527/2024, which annulled several provisions of Royal Decree 958/2020 ( Real Decreto 958/2020, de 3 de noviembre, de comunicaciones comerciales de las actividades de
461 CHAMBERS.COM
Powered by FlippingBook