Lynnae is a journalist covering the intersection of technology, culture, and gambling. She has more than five years of experience as a writer and editor, with bylines at SlashGear and MakeUseOf. On the iGaming side,...
Read Full BioOn November 14, Spain’s Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ) announced a new algorithm that it claims will enable it to identify risky online gambling behavior more accurately and earlier. It’s the most recent development in the country’s comprehensive push to make online gambling safer.
The agency introduced the new algorithm during the inaugural International Gaming Congress, which was held at the Royal Mint in Madrid. According to the press release, the tool will increase detection rates by up to 10 percentage points, which the DGOJ points out is much higher than the roughly 3% of players operators currently identify using their own systems.
Built on Real Behavior, Not Predictions
The Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and Agenda 2030 says the new algorithm represents a new approach to detecting problematic gambling in Spain.
For the first time, microdata from players who have been medically diagnosed with a gambling disorder will be used to recognize early signs of addiction by comparing real-world behavioral patterns with those observed in other online gamblers.
Until now, each operator has used its own proprietary detection tools; as a result, there has been no uniform data on their effectiveness. The Ministry says that having a unified, evidence-based model will standardize practices across the industry and make interventions more reliable.
The use of clinically validated behavioral data enables the algorithm to identify risky behavior earlier and with much greater accuracy than other tools.
Andrés Barragán, Spain’s Secretary General for Consumer Affairs and Gambling, called the algorithm “a revolutionary tool” that puts technology “at the service of social well-being” and strengthens public policy grounded in scientific evidence.
Barragán went on to explain that the model represents a shift toward using scientific evidence to inform public policy and will have “positive effects for the protection of people at risk of problem gambling and their families.”
Next Step: Mandatory Use By All Operators
Before the new algorithm goes live, it will go through Spain’s standard regulatory process. Once approved, it’ll be mandatory for all licensed operators.
The Royal Decree 176/2023, issued on March 14, first introduced the requirement for operators to adopt tools to identify risky gambling activity and implement player-protection measures, a mandate that ultimately led to the development of the new algorithm.
Part of a Broader Push for Safer Gambling
The introduction of the new algorithm comes as Spain continues to focus on developing consumer protections across the gambling sector. In May, the DGOJ introduced new measures to combat identity theft in online gambling, aiming to reduce fraudulent account use and protect players.
And in October, Spain began placing strict warning labels on online gambling platforms (including HTML banners, login pages, apps, and digital ads), taking a public-health approach similar to the messages found on tobacco products. Introducing the new measure, Minister for Social Rights Pablo Bustinduy said that “the responsibility should not fall on users but on the authorities, who have the democratic duty to ensure that the environments they access are safe.”
Later that month, the country launched a nationwide campaign to warn young people and their families about the gambling-like risks associated with video-game loot boxes, using the slogan “Fewer Loot Boxes, More Real Gamers” to convey their message. Describing loot boxes, the government said, “in exchange for a small amount of money, they might win an in-game item the player has been looking for, like a football player, a card, or a special effect.”
Spain isn’t treating these measures as one-time initiatives. Instead, they’re part of a multi-front agenda to strengthen oversight, standardize protections, and reduce gambling-related harm online.
