In recent years, we’ve seen online casinos grow and attract more players. With the industry thriving, each country has developed its own regulatory landscape to ensure fair play and protect players. With that said, the UK and Spain have taken slightly different approaches to regulating online gambling, so let’s look at the key differences between them.
The UK’s regulatory body for the activity is the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). In Spain and the Canary Islands, the body responsible for overseeing the activity is the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ).
One major difference in their approaches is the UKGC’s implementation of the self-exclusion program called GAMSTOP.
While iGaming operators based in the country are mandated to employ the program, there are casinos not on GAMSTOP in the UK. They are regulated by foreign jurisdictions, such as Curaçao, and usually offer more diverse games and better bonuses. They also accept transactions in cryptocurrencies, which are gaining more and more popularity among punters in the UK.
In Spain and the Canary Islands, a program like GAMSTOP doesn’t exist and therefore, there are no regulations regarding self-exclusion. However, players can still use the website’s option or a third-party software to do so.
If you’re looking to play in a real money online casino, you should also know that the UK is more open to offshore platforms. The country does look to decrease their impact, but they’re still widely accessible and legal to play at.
Spain, on the other hand, is less friendly towards foreign sites. The country allows online casinos controlled by the DGOJ to operate while any offshore casinos looking to do the same have to get appropriate certifications to ensure compliance with Spain’s laws. This means that if you’re looking for an online casino in the Canary Islands, your options may be limited.
Offshore online casinos have proven to be extremely popular among players in the UK. While the UK is less strict than Spain, the jurisdictions overseeing these casinos are even less stringent. This allows iGaming operators to offer better deals and gambling options to players.
It’s common for these casinos to offer a wider range of gambling options and better odds and bonuses. Additionally, they often have more relaxed identity verification procedures than casinos based in the UK.
They’ve also built a reputation for having top-notch security standards and ensuring fair play to all players.
Another thing to keep in mind is how Spanish gambling regulatory bodies address bonuses and advertising. Ever since the COVID-19 era, the country has been trying to limit online casinos in what they can do to attract new players.
This resulted in the Royal Decree 958/2020, which was met with a huge backlash from both the industry and players. Additionally, Spain’s Supreme Court found that the measures that have been introduced lacked legal basis. Eventually, they were overturned and online casinos were again able to use the same practices as before.
Originally, according to the new laws, they wouldn’t be allowed to include celebrities in their marketing efforts. Furthermore, they would be banned from depicting money and luxury goods in advertising.
Still, it’s important to mention that some of them remain in place. For example, online casinos can’t promote themselves in certain hours on TV and radio. Sports sponsorships also remain limited.
Measures like this haven’t been introduced in the UK and the country’s approach to bonuses and advertising is more consistent and focuses on player protection.
