The purpose of Law 13/2011, of 27 May (PDF, approx. 747 KB), on the regulation of gaming, is to regulate gaming activity taking place on a nationwide basis in all its different forms, in order to maintain public order, fight against fraud, prevent addictive behaviour, protect the rights of minors and safeguard the rights of participants in this activity, without prejudice to the provisions of the Statutes of Autonomy.
Gaming is understood to mean any activity involving the risking of sums of money, or items of economic value in whatever form, on future and uncertain results which depend to some degree on chance, and which allow these sums to be transferred between the participants, regardless of whether the level of skill of the players is decisive in the results or they depend wholly or fundamentally on luck, stakes or chance.
The Directorate-General of Gambling Regulation is the Ministry of Finance and Public Administrations body that, responsible to the Secretary General of the Treasury, regulates, authorises, supervises, controls and, if necessary, penalises gambling activities in the Spanish State:
- Proposed regulations for governing state-wide gambling activities and establishment of the technical and functional requirements of games of chance.
- Processing of applications for authorisation to conduct state-wide gambling activities.
- Certification of technical systems of state-wide games of chance.
- Inspection of state-wide gambling activities and technical systems used and prosecution of illegal gambling.
- Infringement proceedings for breaches according to Law 13/2011, of 27 May, which regulates gambling.
- Establishment of the procedure for processes for claims lodged against operators by participants.
- Institutional relations with public and private gambling-related bodies both nationally and internationally.
- Authorisation for organising and conducting raffles, betting and gambling activities that cover more than one Autonomous Region and charitable sports gambling activities.
- Mandatory prior authorisation for lottery activities subject to the reservation and processing of penalty proceedings in relation to SELAE points of sale.