DGOJ: "Safe gambling" priority, new measures blocked
Mikel Arana, head of the Spanish regulatory body, lamented the parliamentary halt to a key provision aimed at combating identity fraud. Arana warned that the rejection of these regulations harms both the public and the sustainability of the legal operators themselves.
The General Directorate for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ) of Spain has reaffirmed its stance of placing the user at the center of public policy. In his most recent statement, Mikel Arana, director of the agency, maintained that security should not be an accessory, but a structural axis that integrates risk prevention and the ethical use of technology to ensure the long-term sustainability of the market.
However, the tone of Spanish regulation has shifted from proposal to denunciation following recent legislative obstacles in the Congress of Deputies.
The conflict over the Customer Service Law
Despite the publication of the new law in the Official State Gazette last December 27, Arana publicly questioned the blocking of an additional provision that was considered vital for the legal gaming system. According to the regulator, opposition from parties such as the PP, Vox, and Junts prevented the implementation of a technical tool that would allow citizens to detect in real time if their ID is being fraudulently used to access online platforms.
Currently, without this measure, a citizen could only become aware of possible identity theft at the end of the fiscal year, leaving a vulnerability window of months for the illicit use of personal data.
The impact on young people and the influence of TikTok
One of the most critical points highlighted by the DGOJ is the risk to younger groups. Arana warned about the dynamics of welcome bonuses promoted by "favorite TikTokers" under the premise of "free play."
The regulator warned that many young users, attracted by this aggressive marketing, end up trapped in compulsive debts over extremely short periods. The lack of stricter identity controls facilitates, in their view, this type of risky behavior.
The "mirage" of the player experience
Forcefully, Arana described as a "mirage" the idea that relaxing controls benefits the regulated sector. He argued that prioritizing the "player experience" over the obligation that application providers (App Stores) only offer services to licensed companies is, in reality, a detriment to legal operators.
For the DGOJ, the lack of a guarantee-based regulation does not benefit companies but erodes the integrity of the entire market, fostering an environment where fraud and compulsive gambling can thrive without adequate detection tools.
Tags: Spain, gaming regulation Spain, Spain betting regulation, DGOJ regulations Spain