Spain Is Shifting Gears as It Starts Its Four-Year Safe Gambling Program

The DGOJ is looking to introduce the development of a new technology for detecting risky gambling behavior. This will be able to track players' gaming habits, and if anything looks suspicious or unsafe, the operator can intervene to keep more customers safe. The urgency for further safety and regulations for customers aligns with the rapidly expanding market, as the increase in adults gambling in Spain rises by 21.6% year-on-year. This number peaked at 2 million following a 2024 report by the DJOG, which was a significant indicator that change is necessary.

The safe gambling program 2026-2030 aims to improve the following areas:

• Improved consumer protection measures

• Data and technology-driven monitoring

• Public education on the harmful effects of gambling

• Responsible marketing standards

The DGOJ has outlined that user safety is a primary focus, and it hopes that by 2030, the online gaming industry will have seen significant changes to improve safety and reduce gambling-related harm. The DGOJ has been given two years to develop and implement the tool for detecting risky gambling. They have requested feedback from online gaming users to help shape the tool into one that is as effective as possible. As this is a public consultation, “any natural or legal person” can submit observations and suggestions for the tool. The deadline for contributions is 25 September 2025. 

Spain is not alone in its attempt to improve gambling safety, as many other countries are following a similar approach. In the Netherlands, the country's own regulatory body, the Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA), has published findings from its study on gambling behaviors and begun introducing the necessary improvements. It identified five main areas of risk: intensity, game features, operator behaviour, loss of control and increase in gambling. 

What Does All of This Mean for Irish Players?

This raises many questions on the impact this might potentially have in Ireland.

If the risk mechanism is effective, it could be enforced across all major regulatory bodies. As each company's own regulatory body is aiming for the same goal of safer gambling, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a more unified front to combat the issue at hand. As the tool is still two years away from being effectively rolled out, in the meantime, we encourage Irish players to incorporate responsible gambling into each gaming session, and await possible further regulatory changes.