The Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030 has sanctioned 17 operators in the online betting and gaming sector for serious or very serious infractions, has closed ten web portals and has imposed fines for a total amount of more than 81 million of euros during the second half of 2023.
The resolutions were issued by the General Directorate of Gambling Regulation (DGOJ) and ten of them were for “very serious” infractions. According to the department led by Pablo Bustinduy, these resolutions are the ones that concentrate most of the amounts claimed by the ministry.
Furthermore, these infractions have led to the disqualification of nine operators for a period of two years and a four-year disqualification for the National Organization of Spanish and European Disabled People (Ondee), which has been the one that has received the largest fine: 35 million euros.
In addition to Ondee, the rest of the “very serious” infractions correspond to online gambling operators that operate without a license in Spain and that have been “detected” by the General Directorate of Gambling Regulation.
Specifically, those sanctioned are the companies Rabadi, Uno Digital Media, Eight Stars, Mrsloty Games Tech, Entretenimiento Rojo, Onyxion Malta, Trw Corporate, Vdsoft
Added to these files are those classified as “serious” infractions, which affect seven companies that do operate with a license but that incur some type of non-compliance classified as such in the LRJ. Among those sanctioned are Gamesys, 888, Esgaming or Codere and, in these cases, the total fines amount to 1,150,000 euros in total.
The Ministry has already made public the sanctioning resolutions that have become final since July 2021: a total of 139, which have resulted in fines for a total value of more than 333 million euros.
Minister Bustinduy recently announced his intention to recover and regulate with the rank of law the measures intended to protect young people against the risks of gambling that were annulled weeks ago by the Supreme Court because they had been introduced through a royal decree. These are issues related to advertising on the internet and social networks of betting houses, the use of celebrities to promote the game or the delivery of welcome bonuses or reward mechanisms that are used in video games and that are usually targeted to attract young people.
