SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Spain’s DGOJ has approved a number of new provisions to its gambling code, enforcing new measures banning licensed operators from offering betting markets on under-18 sanctioned sporting events.
Updating the market, the DGOJ states that it wants to form a ‘clear distinction’ between wagering categories, focused on protecting the integrity of sports where the majority of participants are considered minors.
In addition, the Spanish gambling regulator details that it is performing its ‘civic duty’ protecting minor athletes and their sporting events from being associated with betting-related activities.
Outlining conditions for its new measures, the DGOJ states that no licensed betting incumbent shall offer ‘events that are exclusively or predominantly played by minors’ within their betting market inventories.
Defining its criteria on ‘underage sports events’, the DGOJ maintains that its measures will be attached to all sporting events categorised as ‘sub-18 age range’ by their organising committees, regardless of the actual age of participating athletes.
Closing its update, the DGOJ states that the new regulations will come into effect this week with the publishing of Spain’s ‘state regulatory bulletin’.
Strengthening Spain’s legal and regulatory frameworks for combatting match-fixing, last week the Spanish government announced the formation of a ‘new national commission’ tackling sports corruption.
The integrity unit is formed from four national bodies including the DGOJ, the Guardia Civil, the federal police force and Spain’s Higher Sports Council.
