The online expenditure in games of chance has increased fivefold in Spain this year compared to 2007, according to the information released by Spanish Federation of Recovered Games of Chance Players (FEJAR), that organized its tenth national congress Matalascañas (Huelva).

FEJAR has claimed in Matalascañas that the administration should regulate the access to Internet games, because, although there are no official numbers, that federation assures that, if in 2007 600 million euros have been gambled online, this year, 3 billion will be reached.

Its President, Máximo Muelledes, has explained journalists that people with gambling problems are younger, and has shown concern on Internet addiction to games of chance or mobile phone.

In these cases, “there are not the same filters existing in casinos, bingos or gambling halls”, where the national document of identity is requested, in order to see if players are under-aged or not, and there are lists of people that voluntarily have requested to be banned from these places.

The Federation calculates that 5% of the Spanish population could have gambling problems. In 2006, the Chamber of Representatives approved unanimously the organization of a research on gambling problems in Spain, but the association complains that the state has not started the study.

In 17 of the 23 health centers for people with drug-addiction in the Andaluzan territory, people with gambling problems are attended. Nearly 300 people analyze, during the weekend, the new Internet gaming forms and other technologies on information and communication.