Spain says none of more than €465 million in illegal gambling fines has been paid

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  Spain says none of more than €465 million in fines imposed on illegal online gambling operators over five years has been paid.

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  The fines were imposed between 2022 and 2026, according to a written parliamentary response.

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  The government says the operators are based abroad, often in non-cooperative jurisdictions, and use opaque corporate structures.

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  It argues that domains, brands and technology used by illegal operators can be replaced easily, making it impossible to collect the penalties.

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  The government says enforcement is intended primarily to protect the market and consumers, rather than raise revenue.

Who

Spain’s government and illegal online gambling operators.

What

The government says none of more than €465 million in fines imposed on the operators has been paid.

When

Over the five years from 2022 to 2026.

Where

Spain; the operators are based abroad, according to the government.

Why

The government says operators use opaque structures and replaceable domains and technology, making collection impossible.

This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.