Spain's Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and Agenda 2030, in collaboration with the regulator DGOJ, has relaunched the Action Protocol for Impersonated Taxpayers (PACS). Now in its third year, this initiative aims to tackle cases of identity theft in online gambling and help taxpayers who detect unfamiliar gambling winnings.
In 2025, authorities received 8,675 identity theft reports related to online gambling, up 12% from the previous year.
The PACS protocol was developed in collaboration with the Tax Agency and State Security Forces. The authorities have relaunched a dedicated website that offers a practical guide with steps for filing a complaint.
Meanwhile, DGOJ continues to operate its Phishing Alert service, notifying individuals about attempts to create online accounts using their personal data.
Victims' profiles differ from the typical gambler demographic. Data indicates a larger proportion of women and individuals over 26 among the victims, while typical online gamblers tend to be men aged 18–25.
Regarding gambling segments, betting accounts for 85% of identity theft cases in 2025, followed by online casinos at 18%.
Criminals are using more advanced methods, like bots, to run gambling accounts at high volume. This often gets those accounts flagged and blocked, so they open new ones using stolen identities, repeating the cycle.
Meanwhile, authorities are working to improve oversight of various other issues in the gambling sector.
The Spanish Government’s recent draft Royal Decree to strengthen AML and CFT measures introduces several changes. The modifications affect customer identification, payment controls and internal procedures, particularly for online operators.
Last month, the DGOJ presented a Safe Gambling Program for 2026 – 2030. Measures target youth protection, research on emerging technologies such as AI and strengthened collaboration with treatment providers.
Online gambling in Spain continued to grow in 2025, with GGR reaching €1.7bn ($1.95bn), up 16.99% from the previous year
