The Spanish regulator is seriously concerned about player protection in lotteries. Winning money for their first car will become more difficult for young Spaniards, as lottery operators will be required to check the buyer’s age before selling a lottery ticket. The tightening of control over Spanish lotteries has been prompted by the regulator’s observations. The DGOJ has found that the number of websites and online applications selling lottery tickets has sharply increased, indicating that measures to ensure player safety must be enhanced.
Changes are expected in Spain’s lottery sector this spring: operators will be required to verify the age of purchasers through national databases, and all underage Spaniards, as well as any other residents of the country prohibited from playing, will be denied the opportunity to purchase the coveted ticket. Additionally, lottery operators must display an official seal on their websites to confirm the site’s authenticity. The same stringent requirements will apply to distributors and retail locations selling lottery tickets.
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The only exceptions may be lotteries for the disabled, charitable lotteries, and Spain’s national lotteries, which can continue to sell tickets freely using so-called public vendors: bars, cafes, restaurants, tobacco shops, supermarkets, and so on. The draft regulation from the DGOJ has already been published on the regulator’s website. Along with the publication, a consultation period has been opened, which will last until March 1. During this time, any interested parties can express their opinions on the proposed changes and submit suggestions. Recently, the DGOJ has shown excessive activity—just in the first half of 2022, the regulator’s actions resulted in financial sanctions against 53 gambling operators. In total, these fines amounted to nearly €85 million. In comparison, only 21 operators were fined in Spain throughout 2021. Overall, things have escalated significantly. If you found this publication helpful and interesting, we recommend subscribing to our breaking gambling news to receive notifications about the latest updates and stay informed about current events.
