Spain's Senate approves amendments to Gaming Law

The plenary session of the Senate Wednesday approved the amendment of the Gaming Law, which reinforces the control over the manipulation of sports competitions and betting fraud, through the Global Investigation Service of the Gambling Market (SIGMA), and which extends the protection of gamblers at risk.

With 146 in favor and 113 abstentions, the reform was finally approved, although the 22 amendments that remained pending, and which were debated during the session on Wednesday, were rejected. Specifically, ten from the Senate Democratic Parliamentary Group (GPD); two from the Mixed Group; one from the Confederal Left Parliamentary Group (GPIC); three from the Esquerra Republicana-Bildu Parliamentary Group (GPERB); one from the Nationalist Group (GPN) and five from the Popular Parliamentary Group.

It is worth mentioning that the law became effective the day after its publication in the Official State Gazette (BOE).

On October 20, the Health and Consumption Commission of the Upper House gave the green light to the opinion of the bill, which improves the protection of gambling users, mainly minors or people with problems and addictions, and also the control over the manipulation of sports competitions and betting fraud.

The amendment reinforces the functions of the General Directorate for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ) to work in collaboration with all the competent authorities in this matter, through a technical instrument, which is the so-called Global Investigation Service of the Gambling Market (SIGMA), where all the digitalized information will be shared.

SIGMA is a technical instrument that has been set up as an interactive cooperation network, accessible online, for the entities that are registered in it, such as the security forces, the Superior Sports Council, sports federations, professional leagues, and gaming operators.

The amendment establishes that the Government will set up the General Registry of Gambling Access Interdictions and that it will promote the interconnection of the autonomic registries through the corresponding agreements.