Spain’s DGOJ proposes centralised gambling risk detection

Spain’s gambling regulator has reopened a consultation on a unified system requiring licensed online operators to identify players showing signs of gambling-related risk. The consultation opened on October 13 by The Directorate General for Gambling Regulation (DGOJ). The feedback’s accepted until October 22, 2026. With this new proposal, operators would assess player account activity over the previous 183 days during the first seven calendar days of each month. The system would use deposits, withdrawals, betting patterns, session duration and other account activity to flag risky behaviour. The proposal is aimed to detecting risky gambling-related activity by the players. After the detection, operators would have to notify flagged players and explain the factors behind their classification. Players must complete an interaction within 72 hours othewise they’ll face suspension of gambling account until they comply. The initial round of consultation in 2025 brought up worries regarding the implementation costs, the accuracy of the model, and the protection of data. The operators challenged the estimate made by the regulator regarding the cost of implementation, which is €130,000 for each operator, and questioned the manner of assessment in skill-based games such as poker and sports betting. The mechanism suggested is based on the safer gambling regulations in Spain in 2023, according to which the operators were allowed to create their own risk detection models. Now the DGOJ wants to establish a uniform standard for all operators with the necessary permits, followed by regular reviews and technical inspections carried out by independent parties. The public comments period is open until October 22, which will give all operators, supplier, and legal teams appropriate time to study the projects and the documentation connected.