Online Gambling Regulation in the Hispanic World

A Comparative Analysis of the Spanish, Latin American and International Models

Abstract

The growth of online gambling in the Spanish-speaking world has outpaced the response capacity of many national regulatory frameworks, creating a heterogeneous landscape where very strict models coexist with models under development and an international market with minimal state control. This review article comparatively analyzes three regulatory models: the Spanish model, characterized by stringent identity verification and player protection requirements; the Latin American model, still consolidating and exhibiting significant variability between countries; and the international model, based on extraterritorial licenses such as those of Curaçao and Malta. Using official sources and specialized literature, the article identifies the main differences between models, their implications for user protection, and the challenges arising from the cross-border nature of the Internet. It concludes that the effectiveness of any regulatory model is limited by the persistence of an accessible parallel market and that user education, along with international cooperation, are necessary complementary approaches. This work provides a useful framework for researchers in the field of social sciences applied to sport and for professionals interested in the phenomenon of online gambling.