DGOJ presents full roadmap on Spain’s gambling deposit limits system

DGOJ, the Directorate General of Gambling in Spain, has confirmed the launch of two core projects to overhaul the compliance and player protections of online gambling licences. This morning, the regulator announced its joint deposit limits system and new Player Portal, designed to give consumers greater control and transparency of their wagering activity across licensed operators. The announcement follows advance notification of the upcoming launches to licensees. Both projects support the safer gambling framework overseen by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, including the Royal Decree on Safer Gambling Environments, authorised in 2023. The joint limits system will aggregate deposits made by an individual across all licensed operators. Once an applicable threshold is reached, further deposits will be blocked across their accounts. Default limits have been set at €700 per day, €1,750 per week and €3,300 over four weeks, operating alongside existing deposit controls at individual operators. Players can modify or remove their combined limits through a dedicated procedure incorporating enhanced information on gambling risks. Increases or removals will take three working days to become effective, while limits can only be increased once every three months. For the remainder of 2026 the DGOJ has begun the testing phase of the deposit limit system, which will require all Spanish online gambling licences to integrate to the system. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs aims for 26 March 2027 as its definitive implementation date. The DGOJ will coordinate compliance through a technical system checking deposits in real time, reducing unnecessary information exchanges between operators and protecting personal data. Player Portal Alongside the deposit framework, the new Player Portal provides a single access point for information previously distributed across separate gambling accounts. Consumers can review deposits, stakes, winnings and losses, supported by activity histories and aggregated statistics. They can also identify accounts registered in their name, helping detect potential identity theft. Additional functions include customisable spending and activity alerts, management of combined deposit limits and downloadable activity certificates for complete tax years. Access is free through Spain’s Cl@ve digital identification system. DGOJ wants no excuses on integration The launches follow a robust defence of the DGOJ’s record by Director General Mikel Arana, speaking last week at the Gaming in Spain Conference in Madrid. Arana argued that the regulator’s performance should be assessed across the wider overhaul of Spanish gambling, which began with the Royal Decree on Advertising in 2020. He pointed to approved measures covering joint deposit limits, advertising risk warnings and new payment controls were delivered in the period of the overhaul since the Ministry of Consumer took control of overhaul mandates in 2021. Industry criticism has centred on the technical guidance available to integrate the DGOJ’s projects, including deposit limits, the player database, mandatory safer gambling messages and the pending risk detection algorithm. Spanish licences had detailed frustrations at the lack of consultations and guidelines put forward by the DGOJ. Arana, meanwhile, criticised trade body Jdigital for insufficient participation during the early drafting of legislative initiatives, when industry feedback could have the greatest influence on regulatory choices. On deposit limits, he challenged operators over their progress towards integration, stating: “It is surprising that at this stage operators have still not effectively and generally connected to the system.” His message to licensees was that technical adaptation remained their responsibility. With the March deadline approaching, operators face increasing pressure to complete integration as the DGOJ moves towards implementation and closer compliance oversight in 2027.