Consumer watchdog issues 30-million-euro fines and blocks six illegal online gambling websites
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has fined 26 companies, including Codere, 888 Online and Betfair, a further three million euros for serious infringements
The Spanish Ministry of Social Rights and Consumer Affairs is extending the campaign of inspections and monitoring in an attempt to put an end to illegalities and infringements in the online gambling sector in the country.
On 25 November, the department headed by minister Pablo Bustinduy announced a new round of serious or very serious fines for more than 30 online gambling companies, including fines of 30 million euros and the blocking of the activity of six international operators. According to official ministry sources, the directorate general for the regulation of gambling has sanctioned a total of 32 companies in these inspection procedures.
Of these 32 infringements, six were for irregularities considered very serious and committed by foreign online gambling and betting companies operating in Spain without a licence. These irregularities, punishable by the harshest sanctions provided for in the law, have resulted in a fine of five million euros for each operator, as well as the blocking of their websites. The six platforms that have been blocked as a result of the very serious infringements are XYZ Entertainment, Moonrail Limited, EOD Code SRL, Samaki, Lone Rock Holdings and Novaforge.
The other 26 sanctions, which are of a serious nature, are imposed on operators that have engaged in some type of serious law infringement, even if they have a licence to operate in Spain. The fines in this category amount to just over three million euros and the companies concerned are Codere, 888 and Betfait.
In particular, 888 Online will have to pay 250,000 euros for failing to comply with the technical requirements of the software and communication system regulations and for using non-approved or unauthorised technical systems. Beatya Online has also been fined 300,000 euros for failing to comply with technical requirements. Betfair has been fined 100,000 euros for failing to comply with responsible gambling and player protection obligations.
Electraworks Ceuta will have to pay 512,000 euros for three different infringements: allowing access to gambling to persons who are banned from doing so, using non-approved or unauthorised technical systems and failing to comply with the technical requirements. Codere was also sanctioned for the latter - a fine of 17,500 euros.
Fines amounting to 500 million in four years
So far this year, the Ministry of Social Rights and Consumer Affairs has imposed 58 serious and very serious sanctions on companies in this sector, including this latest round of fines and infringements. The fines amount to 111 million euros.
The latest amendment to the gambling regulation law from July 2021 established that serious and very serious infringements that become final in administrative proceedings will be published on the website of Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego. Since then, 212 sanctions have been announced, with fines totalling 496 million euros.
