The Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and the 2030 Agenda has announced the final sanctions for online betting and gambling infringements during the second semester of 2023 in Spain. A total of 17 operators have been penalized for committing serious or very serious violations, with fines surpassing €81 million (81,150,000 euros).
The General Directorate for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ) issued these penalties, with 10 of the 17 resolutions pertaining to very serious infractions. These severe sanctions account for the bulk of the fines and have led to the disqualification of 9 operators for two years. The Organización Nacional de Discapacitados Españoles y Europeos (ONDEE) faces a four-year disqualification and the highest fine of €35 million.
Significant Penalties for Unauthorized Operations
ONDEE, along with several online gambling operators operating without a license in Spain, received substantial fines. The Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego identified these companies, including Rabadi, Uno Digital Media, Eight Stars, Mrsloty Games Tech, Entretenimiento Rojo, Onyxion Malta, Trw Corporate, Vdsoft&Script Development, and Uniquegame. Each of these operators was fined €5 million under the Ley de Regulación del Juego (LRJ). In total, the very serious infractions amounted to €80 million in penalties.
Licensed Operators Also Penalized
The DGOJ also detected serious infractions in seven other licensed operators in the online betting and gambling sector. These operators violated certain provisions of Law 13/2011 on gambling regulation. Among the penalized companies are Gamesys, 888, Esgaming, and Codere. These seven operators are subject to economic sanctions totaling €1,150,000.
Once the sanctions are confirmed and notified to the concerned parties, both the serious and very serious infractions will be published on the DGOJ website. Since July 2021, the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and the 2030 Agenda has published 139 final sanctioning resolutions, with total fines exceeding €333 million.
Source: “17 gambling operators sanctioned for serious or very serious infractions”. European Consumer Centre Spain. May 9, 2024.