New Spanish algorithm to boost problem gambling detection
The DGOJ presented a pioneering algorithm that will allow for the identification of risky behaviors in online gambling with much greater precision. Based on real microdata from people diagnosed with gambling disorder, the system could quadruple the current detection capacity, which today is around 3%.
The new Spanish algorithm will increase the detection of problematic gambling
The General Directorate for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ) presented at the 1st International Gambling Congress in Madrid a tool that will mark a turning point in risk monitoring in online gambling: an algorithm designed from real microdata of users with a clinical diagnosis of gambling disorder.
For the first time, Spain will have a unified technical model that will allow anticipating behavior patterns associated with problematic gambling, reducing dependence on the autonomous systems that each operator had developed until now.
How the new model works
The algorithm is built from microdata that reflect the real behavior of people medically diagnosed with gambling addiction.
On that basis, the system models risk patterns and applies them to the rest of online players, allowing the detection of behaviors that require early intervention.
Until now:
- each operator used their own models,
- there was no homogeneous methodology,
- and the sector’s average detection barely reached 3% of cases.
According to calculations by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, the new tool could increase detection capacity by up to 10 points thanks to:
- the quality of the data used,
- the effectiveness of the model,
- and the standardization of mandatory mechanisms for all platforms.
A “revolutionary” tool, according to Consumer Affairs
The Secretary General of Consumer Affairs and Gambling, Andrés Barragán, highlighted that the advance represents “a revolutionary tool” due to its ability to:
- base public policies on scientific evidence,
- improve user protection,
- and offer greater support to affected families.
Barragán emphasized the importance of incorporating technology “at the service of social well-being” and strengthening the preventive approach in Spanish regulation.
Next regulatory steps
The algorithm will now continue its regulatory process, after which its use will be mandatory for all licensed operators in Spain.
The mechanism was foreseen since Royal Decree 176/2023, which already established the need to:
- implement risk detection systems,
- act upon problematic behaviors,
- and apply enhanced protection measures to vulnerable players.
Once implemented, Spain will become one of the first markets in the world to adopt a detection model based on real clinical data and applied across the entire industry.
Tags: Spain, compulsive gambling, problem gambling diagnostic tools, gambling addiction Spain, Spain betting