Licencia de jogo online: Dirección General De Ordenación del Juego

The Dirección General De Ordenación del Juego of Spain is the sole governmental entity responsible for the functions of regulation, authorization, supervision, control and sanction of activities related to online casino gaming. Unlicensed operators are considered violators, and as well as players who participate in these games, may be fined. The main functions of the DGOJ are:

• Coordinate, evaluate and approve the procedures for online gaming licenses in Spain.
• Control, inspection and sanction of activities related to gambling.
• Processing and administrative procedures of authorized state lottery outlets.
• Management of gambling records.

The 2011 law determines that it is necessary for those interested to go through the application and approval process to offer certain betting games in Spain. Those companies or individuals that disrespect the laws and regulations imposed by the state are therefore considered illegal. See below the determinations of the DGOJ for each type of casino game and betting:

• Lottery games are a monopoly of the state, being organized by the Sociedad Estatal de Loterías y Apuestas del Estado and ONCE.
• Operators of casino games and online gambling may apply for a license from the Dirección General De Ordenación del Juego. However, only certified games (which obtain individual certifications from testing companies) will be allowed to be incorporated into operators.
• Traditional bingo games, gaming halls and physical casinos are regulated according to each Autonomous Community, and therefore they are outside the competence of the General Directorate of gaming.

Law 13/2011 on the administration of gaming also defines some requirements for the activity in question to be considered as gambling:

• To be considered gambling, one must risk money. That is, the free casino games , which are merely a form of online entertainment, do not require obtaining a license.
• Your result should be based on luck, regardless of the degree of skill it requires.
• There are prizes, which can be cash.

For the process of applying for a license from the Dirección General De Ordenación del Juego, game operators must have equipment, software systems and other instruments necessary for the development of these activities. The applicant for a license must provide a document certifying that it complies with the requested technical requirements. In addition, the applicant must be a company belonging to Spain or to a member country of the European Economic Area.

The process takes around six months to be effective, since a definitive homologation of the license takes place within six months. In any case, the regulation of operators establishes technical requirements that must be met and that are regularly monitored, such as:

1. Documentary record of the technical characteristics of the applying operator.
2. Evaluation and inspection of the equipment used.
3. Audit of the system every two years, carried out by a company designated by the DGOJ.

For the verification of the above items, the Dirección General De Ordenación del Juego may use reports carried out by previously designated audit companies. The approval of the definitive license is made six months after the issuance of the conditional license, and after the evaluation of the technical system employed by the operator.

There are only two types of licenses issued by the DGOJ. They are the general licenses and the singular licenses:

• General licenses : Enable the company to operate online betting, casino games, among others. The applicant must go through the licensing process of the Dirección General De Ordenación del Juego, guided by rules of publicity, competition, equality, transparency and objectivity. Its validity is ten years, but it can be extended for another ten years.
• Singular licenses : Enable the company to offer the betting games and casino games included in the general license, such as Kingdom and poker . Thus, only general license holders may request individual licenses. The minimum validity of the singular license is one year, and the maximum validity is five years. The loss or sanction of the general license results in the loss of the individual licenses.

It was in 2012 that the first permits and licenses of online gaming operators were issued by the DGOJ. Since then, the Spanish online gaming market has become divided between illegal operators and licensed operators.

The Dirección General De Ordenación del Juego incorporates in the licensing process and in the regularization and monitoring of games various provisions with player protection and responsible gaming in mind. Licensed operators obtain their license through the development of games and services that comply with the legal and technical requirements established by law in order to make the game safe, fair, reliable and transparent.

In this way, the Dirección General De Ordenación del Juego can only make sure that the games are safe and fair on the licensed sites, as we have also commented on our guide on Trusted online casinos . Any gaming companies not licensed in Spain and operating in that territory are considered illegal and unsafe.

The DGOJ points out that the use of games from licensed sites provide numerous advantages to players, such as:

• Clear and transparent game rules, with the right to be properly informed about them.
• Honest game guarantee, no cheats or scams.
• Security of payment methods, whatever you use.
• Identification and registration of the player (proof of identity and restriction of access to the site by minors).

The Dirección General De Ordenación del Juego informs that users of illegal sites compromise their time and money, in addition to all their personal data, and that they may be targets of scams and dishonest practices. To find out if the website in question is properly licensed by the Dirección General De Ordenación del Juego, the player can check the licensing information on the online casino or betting site. Additionally, you can visit the official dgoj website, where all licensed casino operators are listed.

With regard to responsible gambling, the DGOJ offers numerous information and a section of its website complete about it, called Play Well . There, players can find information about the risk and Prevention of compulsive gambling, as well as information about safe gambling. Through videos and animations, the Dirección General De Ordenación del Juego has created a great space to discuss problems related to gambling.

We created the Creative Giants in 2017 to share informative content about online casino games, Safe games and responsible gambling, as well as tips and strategies that can help players profit more during their bets. Here, we also publish content on gaming laws, both in New Zealand and overseas, and reviews of licensed and secure casinos that can be accessed by New Zealand users.

Our main goal is to produce accessible, pertinent, up-to-date and comprehensive content about the online casinos and betting sites that operate in New Zealand, and that many New Zealanders access on a daily basis. To read our reviews, guides and game manuals, just go to the main menu, which is at the top of the page.

The Dirección General De Ordenación del Juego was created in 2011, but so far it has licensed several online casinos to operate in Spanish territory. If you want to see the complete list, visit the official website of the entity. Below we have listed the casinos that are licensed by DGOJ and that we have already evaluated. We recommend reading our reviews before you register and start betting!