Spain forms new regulatory board to manage the surging online gaming sector

Spain has appointed an advisory board comprising industry experts in the gaming industry with the aim of formulating the country’s responsible gaming strategy.

Spain’s official regulatory body, the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), has established the Consejo Asesor del Juego Responsible (CAJR), which would support the regulator in the development, execution and overall management of policies related to responsible online gaming across Spain.

This November, 25 new members joined the board including representatives from top gaming suppliers Playtech, Tómbola and the European online casino platform, Paf. Alberto Eljarrat, the CEO of sports betting specialists Sportium, and Maria José Gallardo, vice president of the software company R. Franco, are some of the latest members appointed, along with Francisco Feijoo, acting legal counsel for the Luckia Gaming Group. The board has representatives from various fields including psychology, social health and welfare as well as consumer rights. Juan Espinosa García, the current president of the DGOJ regulatory body, is chair of the board.

Online gaming revenue increased by 30 per cent in Spain, year-on-year for Q3 when compared to 2017, totalling €181.8 million at the end of September 2018. The most revenue comes from the sports betting and online casino verticals which many expect to reach a global value of over $74 billion (USD) by the end of 2023.

As per DGOJ, July-September revenues for the casino vertical increased 39.2 per cent to €60.8 million. Player spending within this vertical was also at an all-time high of €2.1 billion with an increase of 35.6 per cent from 2017. The new online poker shared liquidity pool with France and Portugal that Spain established in January of this year also benefited the industry, generating a 35.1 per cent revenue increase to €19.8 million.