Catalonia is preparing a series of targeted improvements to CATJOC, the electronic management platform for recreational and gambling machines, addressing operational pain points flagged directly by the sector. The Directorate General of Taxes and Gaming of Catalonia expects to roll out the changes within the coming weeks.
Industry associations Europeam and Andemar Catalunya have already briefed their respective members on the planned modifications, signalling coordinated sector engagement ahead of the updates going live.
Permit Separation at the Core
The most structurally significant change is the decoupling of the exploitation permit from the site authorisation. The two procedures will once again be managed separately, reflecting their distinct legal nature and differing durations — four years for the exploitation permit and five years for the site authorisation. The previous joint-management approach had been generating administrative incidents, and this reversal aims to eliminate that friction.
Нижче наведено порівняння двох типів дозволів, які тепер управлятимуться окремо в системі CATJOC, із зазначенням їхніх строків дії та ключових відмінностей.
| Тип дозволу | Строк дії | Управління в CATJOC |
|---|---|---|
| Дозвіл на експлуатацію | 4 роки | Окрема процедура |
| Дозвіл на розміщення | 5 років | Окрема процедура |
Compliance Calendar Tip
With exploitation permits running four years and site authorisations running five years, operators managing large machine portfolios will face renewal cycles that fall out of sync by design. Building a dedicated renewal tracker that flags each authorisation type independently — rather than treating them as a paired event — will prevent missed deadlines once the decoupled workflow goes live.
Practical Workflow Enhancements
Several quality-of-life improvements are also on the way:
- Email editing – users will be able to update or replace the registered contact address linked to any procedure
- Saved search filters – the "Pending Procedures" section will allow users to store custom filters for faster case management
- Expanded search criteria – both "My Sites" and "My Machines" sections will gain new lookup fields, including installation authorisation codes and venue data
- Automatic interested-party notification – in registration, modification, and ownership-change procedures, the installation authorisation holder will be automatically flagged as an interested party for notifications
- Multi-position machine display – the previous visualisation model will be restored to avoid confusion caused by automatically generated site entries
Migration and Upcoming Functionality
In parallel, the migration of the TMAQ historical database to CATJOC within Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure is progressing and is expected to conclude before the end of July.
Looking ahead to September, the Generalitat plans to activate an online consultation tool for site authorisations, accessible to both the installation authorisation holder and machine operators acting under formal representation.
Operational Implications for the Sector
The decoupling of permit durations addresses a structural mismatch that operators have evidently flagged repeatedly. For compliance officers managing large machine portfolios, the ability to renew and track two differently-timed authorisations independently removes a significant source of administrative error. Spain's broader push toward mandatory regulatory reviews and streamlined gaming procedures reflects a regional pattern of administrative modernisation that the CATJOC overhaul fits squarely within. The September online consultation tool could further reduce back-office workload — but its utility will depend heavily on access controls and how representation credentials are verified within the platform. Both timelines bear monitoring.
According to AzarPlus.
