The regulator is gathering industry positions on more than 50 submissions before it starts drafting a new law
Spain's gambling regulator, the DGOJ, has met Games Global, LEOESP, JPJ OPS Spain, OlyBet España and Golden Park Games as part of its consultations on reforming the country's gambling law.
The companies presented the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), Spain's Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling, with their positions and proposals on the future regulatory framework. The content of the proposals has not been disclosed. The DGOJ had not issued an official statement on the meeting at the time of publication.
Why Spain is revising Ley 13/2011
The reform concerns Ley 13/2011, de 27 de mayo, de regulación del juego. The law was published in Spain's official gazette, the BOE, on 28 May 2011 and has been in force since 29 May 2011. In May the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda, which oversees the DGOJ, opened a public consultation on amending the law.
The ministry said the law had been in force for 15 years and needed to be adapted to the digital environment, "especially the growth of online gambling". The second stated aim is to extend protection for players.
Influencers, identity checks and the illegal market on the reform agenda
The ministry said the reform would address the use of celebrities and influencers in gambling advertising, customer acquisition promotions and organic search advertising. Under its plan, operators' advertising pages should appear in search results only when queries are directly related to betting.
A DGOJ statement on 21 July also listed among the reform's aims stricter identity verification and controls on payment methods – to prevent identity theft and access by minors – as well as stronger action against the illegal market.
There is no draft bill yet. These are stated aims, not adopted rules.
DGOJ meetings with the industry after the public consultation
The consultation ran until 22 June. The DGOJ received more than 50 comments and proposals.
On 21 July the regulator began a series of meetings with the organisations that made submissions. The first was Jdigital, the Spanish digital gambling association. Under the DGOJ's schedule, meetings with land-based sector associations were set for 23 July and with LaLiga for 28 July.
The DGOJ said it wanted to learn about the proposals "first-hand" before drafting the bill (anteproyecto de ley). The regulator said the dialogue would continue through September.
Draft bill to go to public consultation
Once the meetings are over and the submissions analysed, the DGOJ will prepare the text of the bill. According to the regulator, the document will then be put to a public hearing, giving the industry and citizens another chance to comment before it moves forward.
No official timetable for introducing or adopting the reform has been announced.
