The Directorate General for Gambling Regulation (DGOJ), integrated under the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030, this Friday announced a new algorithm that identifies addictive behaviors based on real microdata, with the aim of detecting problem gambling patterns.
As reported by Pablo Bustinduy’s department, Consumo has been working on the algorithm for some time, which was presented at the First International Games Conference held at the National Mint and Stamp Factory in Madrid.
Underscoring the importance of applying technology to social welfare, Secretary General of Consumer Affairs and Gambling Andres Barragan defined the algorithm as a “revolutionary tool that will undoubtedly have a positive effect on the protection of people and their families at risk of gambling problems, even in the context of the development of public policies based on scientific evidence.”
Specifically, the Ministry details that the mechanism will take microdata that reflects the actual behavior on gaming platforms of people medically diagnosed with gaming disorder as a reference for its composition and design, and model them to identify problematic gaming risks for people playing online.
“Pioneer” mechanism
Consumption says this is a “pioneering mechanism” in terms of early detection. Until now, these mechanisms have been developed autonomously by each operator, and “there are no tools or homogeneous data on their effectiveness, meaning the average detection rate is about 3% of those playing.”
According to their calculations, this tool can improve current detection rates by up to 10 points. This is thanks to both “the effectiveness of the model as it is based on real microdata and its ability to homogenize the risk detection mechanisms that operators need to use.”
Finally, it has been clarified that the tool will continue with normal regulatory procedures that oblige all gaming operators to use it. This detection mechanism is stipulated in Royal Decree 176/2023 of March 14, aimed at developing a safer gaming environment, which already required operators to adopt mechanisms to detect dangerous activities in online games and to adopt protective measures for players.
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