Spain’s iGaming leaders gather ahead of election shake-up

• DGOJ and Jdigital chiefs headline the Gaming in Spain Conference in Madrid on 15 October.
• Pedro Sánchez has called a snap general election for 29 November.
• Jdigital plans a Supreme Court challenge to deposit limits due in March 2027.

Spain’s regulated iGaming market heads into a snap general election on 29 November with its reform agenda unresolved. The Gambling Act overhaul has stalled before reaching parliament, and cross-operator deposit limits now face a Supreme Court challenge from trade body Jdigital.

The industry gathers in Madrid on Thursday, 15 October, for the Gaming in Spain Conference at the Auditorio ECIJA. DGOJ Director General Mikel Arana delivers the keynote. Justo Sancho, the regulator’s Director of Safe Gambling, joins a panel on implementing cross-operator deposit limits.

Jdigital Director General Jorge Hinojosa, National Police Chief Inspector David Calvete Sarasa and ECIJA Barcelona Managing Partner Xavi Muñoz Bellvehí also speak.

Ballot box gamble

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the early election on 5 October, after Congress rejected two government housing decrees. Spain last went to the polls in July 2023.

Housing affordability has fuelled protests across the country. Authorities estimated that around 70,000 people joined a demonstration in Madrid on 3 October. Organisers put the figure at around 500,000.

The timing upends the industry’s planning. Operators had expected the current government to lose power at the 2027 parliamentary elections, several industry voices noted. A November vote brings that test forward by more than a year.

The conference organisers frame the question bluntly: does Sánchez win another four-year term to finish his reforms, or has he overplayed his hand?

Reform on thin ice

The government wants tighter control of a fast-growing market. Online gross gaming revenue reached €539.18m in the second quarter of 2026, up 31.16% year on year, according to DGOJ data.

Betting led the growth, rising 47.46% to €253.59m. Monthly active accounts averaged 2.04 million, and operators spent €194.46m on marketing.

A public consultation on the Gambling Act launched earlier this year. It covered influencer advertising, customer acquisition promotions and search engine ads.

No bill was tabled before the election was called, so the reform cannot go to parliament until the new legislature begins.

Jdigital had already signalled it would not cooperate with the overhaul. The association argued that a reform of this scale was unlikely to become law within the current legislative term.

The Consumer Affairs Ministry unveiled a detection algorithm for problem gambling in November 2025. It plans to make the tool mandatory for all operators once the regulatory process is complete. Detection algorithms also feature on Thursday’s agenda.

Deposit limits in court

The more immediate flashpoint is Royal Decree 520/2026 of 24 June. It sets limits of €700 a day, €1,750 a week and €3,300 over four weeks per player, aggregated across every licensed operator they use.

The limits apply from 25 March 2027. Operators have a six-month testing period beforehand to integrate with the DGOJ’s central system. They must check that system before accepting any deposit.

Jdigital announced on 1 October that it will appeal the decree before the Supreme Court. The association questions whether the measure fits the legal framework and considers it disproportionate.

The trade body has a precedent. In April 2024, the court partially upheld its appeal against the 2020 advertising decree. That ruling struck out rules on new-customer promotions and celebrity appearances.

Citing DGOJ data, Jdigital has said around 80% of Spanish online players use a single operator. It has also warned that further restrictions risk pushing more players towards the black market.

Lodging an appeal does not suspend the decree unless the court grants interim measures. For now, the March 2027 timetable stands regardless of who wins in November.

Thursday’s sessions will show how far Arana is prepared to defend that timetable in front of the operators who intend to challenge it.