A report identified nearly 8,000 cases of identity theft in online gambling in 2024.

Spain.- The Spanish gambling regulator, the DGOJ, has met with licensed gambling operators to warn them about the dangers of identity theft via online gambling platforms. It contacted operators to address the issue after a report identified 7,712 complaints of identity theft connected to online gambling in 2024.

Statistics were available for the first time after the DGOJ introduced a new protocol for impersonated consumers to register complaints. PACS was introduced in April 2024 in collaboration with the tax administration agency AEAT and the State Security Forces and Corps. It provides a step-by-step process for consumers to follow if they believe their identity has been stolen via online gambling platforms. 

According to the report from the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and 2030 Agenda, 91 per cent of the complaints of impersonation or identity theft were related to sports betting. Meanwhile, the report estimates that nearly 5 per cent of all people who won more than €100 via online gaming were victims of impersonation (see the Spanish government website). 

The DGOJ warned online gaming operators that hackers are using various technological tools, including electronic wallets and bank cards to avoid being detected while misusing others’ identities to conceal online gambling winnings and evade tax obligations. It said hackers tend to display certain gambling behaviours, including placing a large number of bets and playing for long sessions. 

It also noted that registrations for its Phishing Alert service have tripled since the introduction of the new protocol, most likely due to an increase in awareness of cybersecurity risks. Players can activate the alert via the DGOJ website in the Identity Theft Alert section. They provide their details and will then receive notifications about any suspicious activity.

Last year, the AEAT signalled that it would be getting stricter on ensuring that players report gambling winnings in their income self-assessments. Director general Soledad Fernández said that the agency would increase its scrutiny of profits from online gambling as well as cryptocurrency, foreign income and property rentals. In 2022, rules were changed to require the disclosure of all gambling winnings. Previously the threshold that required disclosure was €300.

Earlier this month, the DGOJ held its first sectoral meeting on the prevention of money laundering and financing of terrorism with online gambling operators. The conference was held in collaboration with the Treasury and money laundering prevention agency Sepblac.

The event was inaugurated by Mikel Arana, director general of the DGOJ and treasury advisory member Irene Sánchez Pérez. Arana then moderated the various presentations in which the main experts from the Financial Intelligence Unit and Supervisory Authority for the prevention of money laundering analysed regulatory developments and sanctions at a European and international level and presented findings from inspections of operators. They also spoke about the role of financial intelligence in the prevention and detection of risky operations, among other topics.

Meanwhile, new identification requirements for gambling in Spain have been proposed in a bid to prevent minors from accessing gaming machines. The PSOE, the party to which prime minister Pedro Sánchez belongs, has proposed the introduction of identification systems that would prevent minors and self-excluded players from using slots. It also wants to impose rules for a “less addictive” design for online games.