Spain Imposes €65.4 Million in Fines on Online Gambling Operators in First Half of 2024
Spain’s Ministry for Consumer Affairs issued fines totaling nearly €65.4 million in the first half of 2024 for non-compliance with online gambling regulations. The penalties affected both unlicensed operators and licensed companies that violated the country’s strict gambling laws.
Unlicensed Operators Penalized
The ministry identified 13 unlicensed online gambling operators for committing “very serious infringements” of Spain’s gambling laws. These companies, including Interactive Pro, Stars Cream, Loveca Sino, and Mountberg, were each fined €5 million. The violations also resulted in a two-year disqualification from operating in Spain.
Licensed Operators Sanctioned
Licensed operators were not exempt from scrutiny. Codere Online, a licensed gambling provider in Spain, was fined €162,500 after the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ) determined that a Facebook advertisement violated the country’s marketing regulations by potentially appealing to minors.
The incident underscores Spain’s ongoing enforcement of strict gambling advertising rules introduced in November 2020. These rules included a ban on sponsorships by gambling companies and limited online advertisements to platforms where only followers of the operator’s social media accounts could view them. Although some restrictions, such as the prohibition on influencer marketing and advertising on video platforms like YouTube, were overturned by the Supreme Court in April 2024, the prohibition on targeting minors remains firmly in place.
Penalties for Reporting Delays
Electraworks, another licensed operator, was fined €225,000 for failing to meet deadlines for submitting technical compliance reports. The DGOJ noted that the operator had accumulated 1,611 days of delay during 2023. In a letter dated 21 March 2024, the regulator highlighted repeated failures to adhere to submission deadlines as the reason for the significant penalty.
Increasing Enforcement Activity
Spain’s government has intensified its efforts to regulate the online gambling sector, with fines totaling €398 million issued since 2021. This crackdown aims to ensure compliance with the country’s stringent gambling laws and protect vulnerable groups, particularly minors, from gambling-related harm.
The Ministry for Consumer Affairs’ actions highlight its commitment to enforcing these rules, though the measures continue to draw criticism from operators who view them as overly restrictive and financially damaging.
