TECHNOLOGY IN RG
identify possible money laundering practices and ensure regulatory compliance in all licensed gambling operators. In support of this process, a technical support contract was awarded in early 2025 to provide operational and technological assistance to the Online Gambling Inspection Sub-Directorate. The tasks entrusted include fraud prevention, age verification, monitoring of certifications and supervision of compliance with participation restrictions. These developments reflect a transition to a more proactive and integrated regulatory model, replacing reactive practices with data-driven predictive monitoring systems, with the ultimate purpose of reducing the burden of manual audits and accelerating the implementation of corrective actions. If this were implemented as envisaged, Spain could become a European benchmark in AI-based gambling regulation. With a transparent approach, alongside user protection and centralized control, the DGOJ, regional regulators, and authorities like SEPBLAC 6 are signalling that long-term regulatory compliance is not optional, but the new industry standard. In parallel, the DGOJ is collaborating with other European regulators in exploring the use of AI in the gambling arena, as evidenced at the last meeting of industry authorities in Birmingham (UK) this past Spring, where this issue was at the heart of the common regulatory agenda. 7 Regional Level: Land based gambling regulatory developments The 17 Autonomous Communities and the Autonomous Cities of Melilla and Ceuta (the ‘Regions’) are constantly introducing new laws and regulations or amending the latter regarding the gambling sector. In the wake of the state- wide gambling advertising regulation, the RD 958/2020 in 2020, many Regions introduced similar limitations in their regulations, even those who historically were more liberal. The developments that have been introduced during the first semester of 2025 can be summarized as follows:
exclude games declared of cultural interest and regulate biometric access controls with consent. • Valencian Community: Tax measures related to floods and extension of the suspension of new gambling licenses. • Canary Islands: Amendments to the Gambling Law regarding the prohibition of access to persons with disabilities, minimum distances to educational centers, and the adaptation of regulations to technological advancements. • Navarra: Technical conditions for access control systems in gambling venues and prior identification of players in betting machines in hospitality establishments. • Basque Country: Adaptation of formal obligations to new technologies and increase of thresholds for inspection competence in the gambling sector. • While some may not pass, the regulations currently under consideration in Regions such as Aragón, Castilla y León, and Catalonia can be grouped into the following categories: • Gambling establishment regulations: This includes regulations related to the location, number, and types of gambling establishments, as well as distance limitations between them and sensitive locations like schools or centers for vulnerable individuals. • Access control and responsible gambling: Regulations focused on preventing access to gambling establishments by minors and individuals on exclusion lists, promoting responsible gambling practices, and protecting vulnerable population. A key tool being increasingly adopted by the Regions is the connection of land-based establishments to the State-controlled General Registry of Gambling Access Interdictions (‘RGIAJ’). This system allows for the integration of a unified interdiction database, such that individuals registered in the RGIAJ are barred from accessing online gambling platforms (a state-controlled domain). The Regions are expressly introducing the regulation of the use of biometry to carefully comply with the applicable data protection regulations and the Spanish Data Protection Authority interpretation. Land-based operators are embracing this technology in order to better combat fraud and balance user experience. Operators are also looking into the use of biometric systems using AI,
• Castilla-La Mancha: Amendment of the Gambling Law to 6 Executive Service of the Commission for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Monetary Offenses 7 https://www.gamingintelligence.com/es/legal/66943-ia-al-juego/
IMGL MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2025
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