Spain imposes record fines on online gambling sector
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28 Nov 2024 •
Reading time: 2 minutes Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs has imposed nearly €65.4 million in fines for gambling law violations in the first half of 2024, the company said in a statement on November 18.
Thirteen illegal online gambling operators were handed heavy fines for what the ministry called “very serious violations” of Spanish gambling law. The fined companies include Interactive Pro, Stars Cream, Loveca Sino, Rougeca Sino, Mountberg, Alimanieri, Goldenpharaoh, Goldenlion, Golden Genie, Bigwins Games Tech, Games & More, Gladiator Holding and R.Bostock Enterprises. Each operator will pay a €5 million fine and will be banned from operating in Spain for the next two years.
Licensees under scrutiny
It wasn’t just illegal operators who were fined, licensees were too. Codere Online, a company licensed in Spain, was reprimanded by the gambling watchdog DGOJ (General Directorate for Gambling Regulation) on April 25. A Facebook ad from the company was deemed to be appealing to minors, in violation of Spanish gambling marketing regulations. This resulted in a fine of €162,500.
Spain introduced strict marketing regulations for the gambling sector in November 2020. Sponsorship deals with operators were banned and online advertisements could only be visible to followers of gambling operators on social media. The aim of these rules was to protect minors from gambling advertisements. The industry reacted strongly at the time, calling the measures harmful to their business.
In April 2024, the Supreme Court reversed some of these rules. Operators were allowed to use influencer marketing again and show advertisements on video platforms such as YouTube. However, the rules against advertisements that appeal to minors remain in place.
Electraworks Fined for Late Reporting
Electraworks, another licensee, was fined €225,000 for submitting technical requirements reports late. According to the DGOJ, in a letter dated March 21, Electraworks submitted these reports in 2023 with a total delay of 1,611 days. Failure to report on time is considered a serious violation by the Spanish gambling regulator.
Since 2021, the Spanish Ministry of Consumer Affairs has imposed a total of €398 million in fines on the gambling sector, underscoring the country’s determination to ensure compliance with gambling law.