Balearic government sets new procedure requiring full guarantees for operators expanding gaming machines
Two-step process: full deposit at Depositaría, then request to Servicio de Juego
Key Takeaways
- The information note was dated in Palma on 30 October 2026.
- The Dirección General de Empresa, Autónomos y Comercio requires a new guarantee that covers all machines.
- The procedure has two steps: full deposit with Depositaría and then a return request to the Servicio de Juego.
- Example: expanding from 50 to 100 machines requires a new €60,000 guarantee and subsequent return of the initial €30,000 deposit.
The Government of the Balearic Islands published an information note clarifying the procedure for operator companies that wish to expand their park of recreational gaming machines to constitute full guarantees, effective from the communication dated in Palma on 30 October 2026. The Dirección General de Empresa, Autónomos y Comercio specifies that it is not sufficient to deposit only the difference; a new guarantee must be constituted that covers the totality of the machines intended to be operated.
Procedure in two steps
The note sets out a two-stage administrative procedure: first, the company must deposit with Depositaría the full amount of the new guarantee. Second, once that deposit has been made, the company must request from the Servicio de Juego the return of the previous guarantee.
The Dirección General provides this practical example: a company with €30,000 deposited, an amount that authorises it to operate up to 50 machines, that wishes to expand authorisation to 100 machines must constitute a new guarantee of €60,000; subsequently it may request the return of the initial €30,000 deposit.
Purpose and scope
The communication published by the Dirección General de Empresa, Autónomos y Comercio aims to specify the administrative steps operators must follow to adapt their guarantees to an increase in the authorised number of machines. The text appears in the information note dated in Palma on 30 October 2026 and is addressed to companies required to constitute guarantees.
By Miguel Sandoval, Corresponsal de regulación.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the new Balearic information note require to expand guarantees?
The note requires constituting a completely new guarantee whose amount covers the total number of machines to be operated; the Dirección General states that depositing only the difference is not sufficient.
What is the administrative procedure to change the guarantee?
The procedure has two steps: first deposit the full amount of the new guarantee with Depositaría, then request the return of the previous guarantee from the Servicio de Juego. The official communication is dated in Palma on 30 October 2026.
What practical example does the Dirección General offer in the information note?
The note explains that a company with a €30,000 deposit authorising up to 50 machines that wants to expand to 100 must constitute a new €60,000 guarantee; afterwards it can request the return of the initial €30,000.
Tags
About the author
Miguel Sandoval
Regulatory Affairs Correspondent
Miguel Sandoval tracks gambling legislation, licensing, and regulator enforcement — from Spain's DGOJ and the Latin American authorities to the UKGC, the MGA, and the state-by-state map in North America. The reports answer three questions precisely — what changed, where, and who it affects — with jurisdictions, dates, and penalties cited exactly as published. Operators and compliance officers read Miguel Sandoval to know which rulebook moved before their next meeting.
More from Miguel Sandoval
