Spain’s gambling regulator has launched a public consultation on changes to the country’s gambling legislation, with proposals focused on tighter controls over gambling advertising, influencer promotion, and online visibility.
The consultation was opened by the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030 through the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling, known as the DGOJ. Authorities said the planned reforms are intended to strengthen consumer safeguards, improve prevention measures, and give regulators additional tools against illegal gambling activity.
Officials also stated that the existing framework has been in place for 15 years and now requires updates to better address the digital gambling environment and the continued expansion of online gaming activity.
Influencer and Search Engine Restrictions Under Review
One of the key areas under discussion concerns the use of celebrities and influencers in gambling advertising campaigns. The Ministry confirmed it wants to regulate how famous personalities and content creators appear in promotions tied to gambling activities.
The proposals also target customer acquisition promotions and organic search engine advertising. According to the consultation documents, authorities want gambling-related advertising pages to appear in search engine results only when users make searches directly connected to betting or gambling products.
The DGOJ said the reform process seeks to “strengthen controls, improve prevention, and provide more tools to combat illegal gambling.”
“This will allow the law to better adapt to the digital environment, especially the growth of online gambling,” the DGOJ said.
“Current regulations have been in effect for 15 years. The reform aims not only to update the legislation but also to broaden consumer protection.”
The public consultation will remain open until 22 June 2026. Citizens, gambling industry representatives, organisations, and other interested parties are invited to submit feedback on the proposed changes.
The Ministry stated that the consultation is designed to collect opinions on existing issues within the market, the objectives of the reform package, and possible regulatory measures.
Early Detection Measures and Warning Labels
The consultation forms part of a wider set of gambling policy initiatives currently being developed by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
Among the additional measures already outlined is the creation of an early-detection algorithm aimed at identifying risky gambling behaviour. Authorities described the system as a prevention tool based on real player microdata. Its use would become mandatory for all licensed gambling operators in Spain.
The DGOJ estimates that the technology could improve current detection rates for problematic gambling behaviour by 10 percentage points.
Spanish authorities have also announced plans to require responsible gambling warnings within gambling advertisements. These warnings would follow a format similar to health notices used on cigarette packaging.
According to the Ministry, the notices would include statistics related to gambling losses, including information stating that 75% of players lose money.
Illegal Gambling Remains a Growing Concern
The proposed reforms arrive while Spain continues to face concerns regarding the scale of illegal online gambling activity in the country.
Last year, consultancy firm EY published findings suggesting the unregulated market is significantly larger than official estimates had previously indicated.
The report found that 23.4% of respondents had used unregulated gambling platforms at least once, either knowingly or unknowingly. Another 9.3% openly acknowledged playing with illegal operators.
EY also reported that many players who believed they were gambling exclusively with licensed operators had still accessed unauthorised websites.
Based on its analysis, EY estimated that illegal online gambling activity in Spain generated €231 million during 2024. The report stated that figure represented around 16% of Spain’s regulated online gambling market.
The latest consultation follows a 2024 Supreme Court decision that partially overturned previous gambling advertising restrictions introduced in Spain. Regulators are now attempting to reshape parts of the legal framework while expanding protections linked to digital gambling activity and advertising exposure.
Source:
“La DGOJ abre a consulta pública la modificación de la Ley de Regulación del Juego”, ordenacionjuego.es, May 18, 2026