Spain appoints new gambling regulator amid reshuffle

Spain’s council of ministers has appointed Mikel Arana as the new director general of the General Directorate for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ).

Arana replaces long-standing DGOJ director general Juan Espinosa Garcia, who resigned earlier this week after four years at the helm of the regulator.

Espinosa revealed he had resigned in an email seen by EGR, in which he said his time at the DGOJ had been a “challenging yet incredibly rewarding time”.

“With all the transformation that the betting and gambling industry and society itself have gone through all these past years, one can only hope that our delivery here has contributed to the public interest of society being reinforced,” said Espinosa.

Juan Espinosa Garcia had been CEO at the DGOJ for four years, working to reform and streamline its regulatory practices

Incoming DGOJ CEO Mikel Arana previously served as an auditor, while also teaching at the University of the Basque Country as an associate professor in the Faculty of Labour Relations and Social Work.

Arana also has experience working with government, having spent seven years as director of services in the department of housing and social affairs in the Basque region for three years.

In his new role, Arana will be responsible for ensuring the passage of Spain’s advertising restrictions, which will limit gambling advertising to between 1am and 5am.

In April, the Spanish regulator accelerated the proposed restrictions as part of nationwide efforts to counter public health concerns following Spain’s coronavirus lockdown.