La Rioja and the DGOJ extend connection of self-exclusion registers to 2030

The Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) and the Autonomous Community of La Rioja have extended the automated interconnection of their respective registers of persons prohibited from accessing gambling until 11 October 2030. The addendum extending the agreement was formalised on 25 September 2026 and published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE) on 12 October 2026.

Scope and purpose of the connection of self-exclusion registers

The agreement preserves the main objective agreed in 2022: to connect, in an automated manner, the state-level register of excluded persons and the regional register of La Rioja and to develop the IT tools necessary for that integration to be effective. The mechanism aims to facilitate application of self-exclusion entries recorded in both registers so that administrations can coordinate and share relevant information about persons subject to exclusion measures.

The automated connection means that the IT systems of the DGOJ and those of the competent department of La Rioja will exchange operational data on registrations and removals without the need for continuous manual processes. The agreement requires both administrations to collaborate in the development, maintenance and operation of those tools.

Timeline: signing, extension and BOE publication

The original agreement was signed on 6 October 2022 between the then Ministry of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Finance and Public Administration of La Rioja. The extension, which prolongs the agreement’s validity by an additional four years, was formalised on 25 September 2026. The text of the addendum was published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado on 12 October 2026 and sets the expiry date at 11 October 2030.

The legal basis for the extension is the provisions of Law 40/2015, of the Legal Regime of the Public Sector, which regulates the possibility of extending agreements between public administrations within applicable legal limits.

What the extension means for administrations and compliance

Both administrations approved the extension unanimously. The unanimous decision formalises their joint commitment to continue coordinating management of exclusion lists and to keep the shared IT tools operational.

Practical responsibilities included in the agreement include:

• maintenance of the technical link that connects the state and regional registers;

• development and updating of IT tools that allow transmission and recording of registrations and removals;

• administrative coordination to ensure that recorded prohibitions are applied in accordance with the applicable regulations.

The operational objective is to reduce miscoordination between registers and ensure that recorded prohibitions are effective within the corresponding jurisdictions. For operators and gambling services this means having a coordinated database against which to check exclusion lists where appropriate.

Legal framework and legal reasons for the extension

The extension is based on Law 40/2015, of the Legal Regime of the Public Sector, which authorises the extension of agreements between administrations under the terms and conditions the law specifies. The addendum does not alter the competence functions of either party; it extends the duration of the collaboration mechanism originally agreed in 2022.

The text published in the BOE confirms that the extension is administrative in nature and that inter-administrative cooperation is extended for the expressed purposes: sharing and managing information on persons subject to prohibitions from accessing gambling.

Practical implications for operators and coordination with registers

Continuity of the interconnection enables authorities to execute recorded prohibitions and reduces the administrative burden of maintaining divergent databases. For gambling operators required to verify exclusion lists, an interoperable state register connected with La Rioja’s register simplifies checking exclusions at account opening and in subsequent supervision. Operators and service providers can consult guidance in the [casino](/casino) and [regulation](/regulation) sections of the site for operational requirements.

The administrations involved must ensure service availability and the integrity of data exchanges during the extended period. Technical cooperation includes both the exchange of registrations and removals and maintenance work on the IT tools that support that messaging.

Next administrative steps and follow-up

With publication in the BOE on 12 October 2026, the extension is formally operative and the new period expires on 11 October 2030. The parties must continue the technical support and administrative coordination tasks provided for in the original agreement and in the addendum approved unanimously.

For those who follow gambling regulation, renewal of this type of agreement signals continuity in access-control mechanisms and is a reminder that operators’ verification systems must consult official sources of exclusion lists, both state and regional. More information on rules and administrative coordination can be consulted in the section regulation. You can also consult the [regulation](/regulation) section for official documents and guidance.

“The extension prolongs the agreement’s validity for an additional four years, in accordance with the provisions of Law 40/2015,” states the addendum published in the BOE, according to the official text.

Miguel Sandoval, Regulatory Correspondent.