Spain launches Safe Gambling Programme 2026–2030
Table of contents
- Spain’s DGOJ has unveiled a flexible multi-annual safe gambling strategy structured around three priorities, six objectives, and 24 specific measures.
- The programme replaces the previous Responsible Gambling initiative from 2019–2022, targeting the growing influence of social-media-driven marketing and AI-driven product design on younger gamblers.
- The regulator will develop a standardised mechanism for detecting risky online gambling behaviour as mandated by Royal Decree 176/2023, with implementation expected in 2026.
Spain’s gambling regulator has formally launched its approved Safe Gambling Programme 2026–2030, a flexible multi-annual player protection strategy that places social media’s influence on young people and emerging digital technologies at the heart of its policy agenda.
The programme was unveiled at a meeting of the Advisory Council on Safe Gambling held at the DGOJ headquarters in Madrid.
Replacing an ageing framework
The new programme replaces the former Responsible Gambling initiative, which ran from 2019 to 2022, with an adaptable, multi-annual action plan. Its overall structure is flexible, with the DGOJ retaining the power to change or add measures as the landscape evolves, subject to Advisory Council input.
The plan is structured around three main priorities, supported by six overarching objectives and 24 specific measures that will be implemented with the support and ongoing input of the Advisory Council.
The DGOJ pointed to significant market shifts since 2019 to justify the update. These included the continued concentration of revenues among a small group of major operators and demographic shifts, with increased online gambling participation among younger individuals, particularly those aged 18 to 25.
Rapid digital innovation has also amplified the influence of social-media-driven marketing and AI-driven product and risk-detection tools across the industry’s strategies.
To build the evidence base ahead of the programme, the DGOJ opened a €1 million research grant scheme in 2025, underpinning the strategy with independent academic findings.
Data, detection and prevention
The programme’s ambitions extend well beyond policy statements. The regulator is studying the influence of social media on gambling patterns and will develop a standardised mechanism for detecting risky online gambling behaviour, as mandated by Royal Decree 176/2023.
The algorithm, developed under that decree, is already under public consultation, with implementation expected in 2026.
The DGOJ also aims to compile a comprehensive catalogue of international and regional gambling policies and will investigate the structural features of games that may contribute to addictive behaviours.
Player-facing tools form a significant element of the strategy. Efforts will focus on producing accessible public guidance, including informative guides on risky behaviours and gambling risks, as well as a directory of treatment and support services. The regulator will also reassess the player self-assessment tool currently used for deposit and limit changes.
Strengthening collaboration with treatment providers and integrating gambling monitoring with national addiction frameworks such as EDADES, ESTUDES, and the Plan Nacional sobre Drogas is also emphasised.
Vulnerable populations, including young players, intensive gamers, and individuals previously excluded from gambling, are priority targets for awareness-raising.
The initiative also promotes usage of consumer protection tools like the national exclusion register (RGIAJ), the Phishing Alert service, and the Protocol for Victims of Identity Misuse (PACS).
Reviewing the royal decrees
A notable element of the programme is its commitment to assess the effectiveness of Spain’s recent regulatory reforms. The Safe Gambling Programme commits to evaluating the impact of Royal Decree 958/2020 and Royal Decree 176/2023 and their alignment with European Union directives and international regulatory frameworks.
Spain’s advertising rules have also been a source of friction with the industry. Operators have criticised the introduction of tobacco-style addiction warnings on advertising, saying the change was made without prior consultation with the sector.
The tension between regulators and operators has been a recurring theme in Spain.
JDigital, the country’s leading online gambling trade association, has warned that unlicensed platforms captured around €231 million in 2024, roughly 16% of the regulated market’s value, cautioning that overly restrictive measures risk accelerating migration to the grey market.
With the Safe Gambling Programme 2026–2030 now in place, the DGOJ faces a balancing act familiar to regulators across Europe: tightening protections for vulnerable players without further straining its relationship with a licensed sector increasingly concerned about regulatory fragmentation.
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