Spain: Royal Decree on joint deposit limits published in Official Gazette

A Royal Decree introducing joint deposit limits has been published in the Spanish Official State Gazette. The legislation abolishes the individual deposit limits previously set by each operator, replacing them with a single unified limit that applies across all of a player's accounts.

Previously, each operator set its own deposit limits, allowing players to deposit the maximum permitted amounts across multiple operators simultaneously.

The regulator will manage a centralised database containing information on players, including their deposit limits, any changes made to those limits and the data required to verify compliance with the system.

The default limits will be set at €700 per day, €1,750 per week and €3,300 over four weeks. However, users will be able to increase these limits or remove them entirely.

To do so, they must follow a specific procedure. Any reduction in limits will take effect immediately, while requests to increase or remove limits will only take effect after a three-business-day waiting period.

In addition, users who choose to lower their limits will not be permitted to increase them again for three months. Before any increase or removal of limits can take effect, the regulator, DGOJ, must provide the user with information about the risks associated with gambling.

Spain’s online gambling trade association, Jdigital, warned that the joint deposit limit system could increase market concentration and impose additional compliance burdens on licensed operators.

The association cited DGOJ data indicating that around 80% of online gamblers use only one operator, arguing that the reform targets a relatively small segment of the market while potentially affecting competition across the sector.

The association also warned that larger operators could benefit disproportionately from a shared deposit cap, as customers may allocate a greater share of their available spending to brands with stronger market positions.

Jdigital further raised concerns about the operational demands of integrating with the DGOJ's centralised monitoring system and called for safeguards to ensure operators are not penalised for failures outside their control.