Just a few days ago, Spanish lawmakers approved a royal decree regarding online gambling such as online casinos, online blackjack , and other games.
This imposes new regulations with severe restrictions to promote responsible gaming and protect consumers as much as possible, mainly young adults.
Supported by the Minister of Consumer Affairs (Alberto Garzón), the bill also establishes sanctions with significant fines for operators who do not scrupulously comply with these new guidelines.
Information to send to vulnerable players
With this new regulation, the Spanish government’s stated ambition is to best protect the most vulnerable gamblers. Indeed, it seeks to minimize potentially risky behaviors that can lead to addiction. Yet, the country has an extremely low problem gambling rate, not even reaching 1%.
In any case, adults aged 18 to 25 will now automatically be considered vulnerable. The same applies to players who record net losses of at least €600 over a three-week period.
Online gaming operators will now have to inform every vulnerable player that they are likely to engage in risky behavior that could lead to addiction.
They are also required to send them a monthly summary of their activity, including the number of times they have played, the payment methods used, and a reminder of their losses and winnings. Of course, this information must also be available to all players upon request.
Additional restrictions to be imposed on at-risk players
The Spanish government has also decided to require operators to monitor player behavior to detect those who should be considered at risk. In this case, they must contact them and receive a response from them within 72 hours. Otherwise, their account must be suspended.
The new regulations also require online gambling operators to no longer accept credit card deposits from high-risk players. However, players can still use other payment methods such as bank transfers, prepaid cards, or e-wallets, among others.
Additionally, at-risk players should no longer receive promotional campaigns. This also applies to people aged 18 to 25.
Penalties of up to 50 million euros in fines and permanent license suspension
To ensure that operators comply with these new regulations, sanctions have already been introduced. Serious violations can result in a fine of up to €1 million. In addition, the license may be suspended for six months.
For very serious violations, the fine can reach up to 50 million euros plus a permanent suspension of the license.
However, it remains to be hoped that these strict new rules will not prove counterproductive. Indeed, it has already been observed in some countries that overly strict regulations can push players towards foreign online gaming platforms that are not subject to these laws.
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