Source: DGOJ (Spain)
Spain’s DGOJ presented its protocol for people affected by identity theft in online gambling at a regulators’ meeting in Birmingham on 4 March 2025. The agency said participants also discussed illegal gambling, responsible gambling, artificial intelligence and gambling-related court proceedings.
The exchange gives regulators information on Spain’s response to identity theft in online gambling.
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Spain's Secretariat-General for Consumer Affairs and Gambling said the Player Portal provides information and prevention tools, not effective limits on play. The portal lets registered users view account operators and activity reports, and set alerts against their own participation and deposit thresholds.
Spain's Secretariat-General for Consumer Affairs and Gambling said alerts from the Player Portal are informational and do not impose effective limits on play. The secretariat explained the portal in a LinkedIn publication and video.
The UK’s increase in Machine Games Duty from 20% to 25% for higher-value category B machines does not protect all seaside arcade income, the British Amusement Catering Trade Association said. Category C machines remain taxed at 20% and category D machines at 5%; Bacta said income from category B machines in adult gaming centre sections helps support wider arcade operations, but it has not yet assessed how many machines will face the higher rate.
Machine Games Duty is rising from 20% to 25% solely for higher-value category B gaming machines, according to the British Amusement Catering Trade Association (Bacta). Many traditional seaside arcades depend on revenue from those machines to sustain their broader operations. The association said the chancellor’s attempt to shield pubs and seaside amusements did not fully reflect how coastal businesses operate.
Spain’s new anti-money laundering rules require licensed online gambling operators to check that the gambling account holder and payment-method holder are the same. The rules took effect on 8 October for new accounts; existing customers have until 28 April 2027 to complete checks, and cannot withdraw winnings in the meantime. Operators must close accounts that remain unmatched, notify the DGOJ and return balances, including withheld winnings.
Spain has reportedly introduced anti-money laundering rules requiring licensed online gambling operators to verify that gambling accounts and payment methods have the same holder. The requirement covers bank cards, bank accounts and electronic wallets used for deposits, payments and withdrawals.
Spain’s DGOJ described prediction markets as cross-betting products in a 26 May notice, while its director general reiterated at MERGE Madrid in late October that gambling products require a licence to operate in Spain. The notice did not specify which licence applies; the article interprets the existing cross-betting category as potentially relevant. Italy’s 2013 rules allow player-to-player betting on non-sporting events, but the source says such events have not become part of a working exchange market.
Spain's DGOJ described prediction markets as player-to-player cross-betting in a 26 May notice, but did not say which licence applies, according to an analysis on an Italian gambling industry site. The author said a link to an existing cross-betting licence was an interpretation.
The Gambling Commission has launched an Illegal Gambling Index to track engagement with unlicensed gambling websites in Great Britain. Its survey found that 4% of online gamblers showed indicators of engagement in the previous 12 months, while 1% of all respondents did. The index combines seven behavioural indicators and will be used alongside Gambling Survey for Great Britain data to monitor trends.
A new Illegal Gambling Index will monitor consumers' engagement with unlicensed sites, according to the Gambling Commission; its initial findings showed engagement among 4% of people who gambled online in the previous 12 months. Among all respondents, the figure was 1%.