Spain: Mikel Arana named new DGOJ director

He takes over the reins at a time when the regulators has been tasked with enforcing a clampdown on gambling advertising.

Spain.- Spanish regulator Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) has appointed former politician, Mikel Arana, as Director.

Arana replaces Juan Espinosa García, who served from January 2017 to January 2020, before taking a new role within the Ministry for Consumer Affairs.

“From the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego, we thank Juan Espinosa for the work carried out over the years as well as the leader in its management, which has managed to position the general direction as one of the international benchmarks in the sector,” the DGOJ said.

“All the current team of the general management wish him the best in this new stage,” the regulator added.

Arana was approved by the Council of Ministers after his appointment was proposed by the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Alberto Garzón.

He will takes over the reins at a time when the regulators has been tasked with enforcing a clampdown on advertising as a result of a growing political opposition to the industry.

A royal decree that came in force in March mandates that audiovisual communications for gambling operators is only permitted to broadcast between 1am and 5am.

Arana is currently an auditor of the Economic Control Office of the Basque Government, a role he took in May 2019.

He also teaches at the University of the Basque Country, from which he graduated in 1996.

Arana holds a master’s degree in human rights, democracy and globalisation from the Open University of Catalonia and an MBA from the Carlos III University in Madrid.