Kingdom of Spain
Spain runs one of Europe's most mature licensed online markets and one of its most heavily restricted on marketing. The framework is Law 13/2011, administered by the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling, the DGOJ. Licensing is two-tier: operators hold a general licence for a category and then singular licences for each game type within it, covering casino games, betting and poker. That structure means market entry is a sequence of authorisations rather than one, and adding a vertical is a regulatory step rather than a commercial one. Gambling is taxed at 20% of gross gaming revenue, falling to 10% for operators established in Ceuta or Melilla, which is an unusual internal differential and a real factor in where Spanish-facing businesses base themselves. What Spain is best known for internationally is advertising. The controls introduced in 2020 were among the strictest in Europe, sharply limiting when and how gambling may be promoted and removing much of the sponsorship and broadcast inventory the sector had relied on. The industry argued the restrictions would drive players offshore; the counter-argument is that a mature licensed market with high channelisation can absorb them. Spain is therefore the reference case for anyone asking what happens to a large licensed market when its marketing is taken away, and both sides of that argument cite it.
Law 13/2011, of 27 May 2011, on the regulation of gambling
Ley 13/2011, de 27 de mayo, de regulacion del juego
General and singular online licences
The themes to watch in Spain are advertising and player-protection rules, the balance between the national online regime and the regionally regulated land-based sector, and any adjustment to the 20% tax. It remains one of Europe's larger, more stable licensed markets.
Spain's gambling regulator has reopened one of Europe's most contested advertising fights, proposing to bar celebrities and influencers from all gambling promotion as it rewrites the 2011 Gambling Act, two years after the courts struck down its last attempt.
Spain's gambling regulator, the DGOJ, has ordered a precautionary nationwide block on Polymarket and Kalshi and opened a sanctions procedure, treating the prediction platforms as unlicensed gambling rather than financial exchanges and aligning Spain with a widening European crackdown.
The AffPapa iGaming Awards celebrate excellence across affiliates, operators, and B2B providers, recognizing organizations that consistently demonstrate impact, innovation, and long-term value in a highly competitive and rapidly evolving industry.
Casino Guru is proud to receive this nomination, as it once again serves as proof of the company’s sustained focus on improving the wider industry ecosystem, prioritizing player protection, and championing a fair and transparent online gambling industry.
One of Europe and Latin America's most recognisable gambling operators is on the block. With advisors hired and a summer deadline in sight, the race to acquire Codere is already taking shape.
Gobierno de Espana
ICLG (International Comparative Legal Guides)
Boletin Oficial del Estado (translated)
Osborne Clarke