Spain announces new advertising and compliance regulations
Integrity and responsible gaming compliance also targeted with new measures
The Spanish government has implemented a series of new measures aimed at strengthening regulatory powers for the General Directorate of Game Management (DGOJ).
The new rules allow the regulator to compel operators to cease sporting sponsorships and all advertising of gambling related services.
DGOJ is also empowered to investigate sporting integrity issues and has been given access to all data held by Spanish sporting associations which is “necessary to control compliance with the subjective prohibitions of Athletes, executives and other participants in sports competitions, which must contribute to facilitate the vigilance and control of this prohibition.”
A new regulatory infringement is introduced which governs non-compliance with requirements concerning player protection and responsible gaming. Regulations regarding non-compliance with information sharing requirements and operators who do not comply with cessation orders are also simplified.
In addition to these changes, a new type of regulatory offence is introduced concerning the “promotion or facilitation of participation from Spain in the gaming activities through web pages other than those legally enabled by title-enabling gaming operators In Spain.”
The DGOJ is also given powers to publish details of all sanctions levied against operators for non-compliance with regulations and a blacklist of unlicensed gambling web domains targeting Spanish citizens.
Penalties for committing any serious infringement of the rules can range between €100,000 and €1m, as well as suspension of gaming licence for a maximum period of six months.
Under the new rules operators are also required to “cooperate in the fight against fraud” and must have internal company anti-fraud protocols, publishing and distributing these in a companywide handbook.
This requirement has been in place for newly licensed operators, who have been licensed over the last year, but has not previously been applied to other operators.