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The latest royal decree regarding gambling has been approved by the Council of Ministers of Spain. It brings 30 new responsible gaming laws into law. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs proposed the Royal Decree of the Development of Safer Gaming Environments. It follows the last year’s ruling that introduced new restrictions on advertising.
The ministry claims that young people between the ages of 18 and 25 are most vulnerable to insensitive messages about gambling. It does include measures that apply to all types of gamblers.
These measures include the creation of risk profiles based upon consumer spending. If a player has accumulated a net loss exceeding EUR600 in three consecutive weeks (or EUR200 for those under 25), they will be considered an intensif gambler. These players will have to be dealt with according to a variety of criteria.
Operators will be required to send warning messages to players if they suspect potentially dangerous behaviour. They also have to provide a monthly summary about gaming activity. They will also be forbidden from sending them promotional material to these players.
This risk profile also prohibits players from gambling with credit cards. Operators can suspend accounts of at-risk players if they fail to respond within 72 hours to operator communications.
Gambling operators won’t be allowed to send promotional emails to anyone under the age of 18 if they have never interacted with them before. A message must be sent to younger players warning them that they are at greater risk of engaging in unsafe gambling behavior if they gamble too early.
Others provide additional protections for people who ask for safer gambling restrictions on accounts or register on a national self-exclusion registry.
These rules will be in effect within six months. Operators who fail to adhere to the new rules could face a fine of up to EUR1m or their license could be suspended for six months.
