Spain’s gambling regulator issued fines totaling €65m ($67.7m) mostly to offshore operators targeting locals without a license. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Spain’s gambling regulator issued fines totaling €65m ($67.7m) to 15 operators in the first six months of 2024. In its statement regarding the financial penalties, the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ) revealed operators have received €398m ($414m) in fines since 2021.

13 of the recent violations were “very serious”

In total, 13 of the recent violations were “very serious,” with each operator paying a €5m ($5.2m) penalty and serving a two-year ban from seeking a license. These offshore platforms targeted Spanish gamblers without permission to do so.

Electraworks and Codere, two licensed operators, received fines totaling €325,000 ($338,502). The former committed a variety of less serious offenses, while Codere utilized a Facebook ad inadvertently targeting underage people.

Spain’s gambling advertising framework has been very strict since introducing new rules in November 2020, although the Supreme Court rolled back on some unbalanced marketing rules in April.