Online Gambling Surges in Spain Amid Loosened Restrictions, Government Eyes Fresh Clampdown

Spain saw a sharp surge in online gambling activity throughout 2024, with new figures revealing a 21.6 per cent increase and the number of active players now nearing the two million mark. The data was released by Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and the 2030 Agenda, highlighting that the total number of online gamblers reached 1,991,500. According to the ministry’s report, this surge is closely linked to the reintroduction of welcome bonuses in April of last year.

Throughout 2024, Spanish gambling operators generated an overall gross gaming revenue of £6.95 billion (EUR8 billion), with state-licensed online gambling accounting for approximately £1.26 billion of that total. Online casinos were the leading contributors, producing £634.7 million in revenue, followed by sports betting with £528.9 million, and online poker games generating £86.7 million. Among all gambling segments, online betting posted the most significant year-on-year growth, registering a 23.8 per cent increase in revenue.

Spain’s history with welcome bonuses has been contentious. In 2020, the government passed the Royal Decree, which introduced sweeping limitations on promotional advertising within the gambling industry. As part of those regulations, operators were forbidden from offering welcome bonuses, a move aimed at curbing the apparent rise in problem gambling. A study published by the Harm Reduction Journal in 2023 credited the Royal Decree with contributing to a 55 per cent decline in the number of new gambling accounts created between 2020 and 2023.

This regulatory environment shifted dramatically in April 2024, when Jdigital—the trade body representing Spain’s online gambling sector—challenged the legal grounding of several components of the Royal Decree. The Spanish Supreme Court sided with the trade association, partially overturning the decree and stating that specific promotional advertising limits must be regulated by law rather than imposed via decree. This ruling opened the door for operators to resume promotional campaigns, including welcome bonuses.

Following the ruling, gambling firms ramped up their marketing expenditures significantly, pouring £457 million into promotional efforts throughout 2024. Of that total, £226.7 million went directly to consumer promotions, while £176.3 million was allocated to broader advertising campaigns, and £48.6 million to affiliate marketing initiatives. The aggressive marketing push yielded rapid results: monthly active gambling accounts rose by 23.48 per cent to 1.43 million, while new account registrations soared, averaging 151,898 per month—an increase of 34.73 per cent.

Despite the industry’s commercial success, Spanish authorities have voiced serious concerns over the implications of this boom. Following the Supreme Court's 2024 decision, Pablo Bustinduy, Spain’s Minister of Social Rights and Consumer Affairs, declared his intention to restore and reinforce the restrictions that had been lifted. “We are going to recover those articles that the Supreme Court considered did not have the necessary regulatory rank,” Bustinduy stated in December last year. He also made it clear that he opposes the use of celebrities and social media for gambling promotions, particularly welcome offers, asserting: “Everyone knows they are aimed especially at the younger public.”

Spain also maintained its crackdown on illegal operators, imposing more than £123.3 million (EUR142 million) in fines on unlicensed gambling platforms during the same year.

As the gambling industry and the government prepare for another round of regulatory battles, the future of promotional freedoms in Spain’s gambling landscape remains highly uncertain.

By fLEXI tEAM