Betting laws and rules in Spain have undergone changes as recent as 2011, which is when we saw the introduction of the Spanish Gambling Act.
This was brought in to provide the right rulings for all aspects of gambling, and also to ensure the country had a singular set of rules for people and operators to abide by.
Prior to this, legal gambling had existed in the country for over 30 years, but each area of the country had the ability to oversee and control their own gambling regulations. The industry was becoming too big for this, so the Spanish Gambling Act was formed.
All Forms of Gambling Officially Regulated
When being created, the Spanish Gambling Act had two key goals:
- To bring together the entire country and have the same gambling laws for all players and operators
- To create rules and regulations capable of handling the popularity and the number of people playing the different available forms
One of the key areas where gambling has expanded, which wasn’t really covered before the Spanish Gambling Act came into play was gambling via electronic means. This includes internet gambling, those betting via a mobile phone or ringing up to place bets on a landline.
This was a really key move, because the world of gambling was moving online, Spain needed to ensure they were regulating this in the right way.
Casinos that are available worldwide compete against each other for business but need regulations in place in their own countries to ensure they are offering the right kind of service. A look at this 10cric review shows the kind of standard that online casinos are now at and what other operators have to aim for if they want to compete.
Required .ES Domain
When a gambling company wants to offer betting to the citizens of Spain, under the Spanish Gambling Act they have to obtain two different things. The first is a license from the National Gambling Commission, while the second is a .es domain which they use to offer their services.
If someone logs onto their website from Spain to bet on La Liga for example, but puts another domain in such as the .com address then the site must be able to redirect users to the .es website, where all gambling will take place.
Prevention of Illegal Gambling
With the Spanish Gambling Act in place, it is far easier for the authorities in the country to prevent illegal gambling. There is great clarity, set rules in place, and everyone knows what they have to follow if they want to either bet in Spain, or offer gambling to customers who are based in Spain.
This all comes together to make Spain a far safer place to gamble, leading to more enjoyment for those taking part. We have also lost the complicated regulations between the different areas of the country, now everyone has the same rules they need to abide by, regardless of where they live in the country, which is great to see.
