Best Online Casinos - Spain

Gambling is legal in Spain when it is supplied by an authorised operator. Physical casinos, bingo halls, betting shops, gaming machines and lotteries are mainly controlled by the country’s autonomous communities. Online gambling offered across Spain is regulated nationally by the Directorate General for Gambling Regulation, known as the DGOJ. The system is therefore divided: there is no single licence covering every type of gambling, every sales channel and every part of the country.

Gambling is a visible industry, but it is not one of Spain’s main economic drivers. Licensed gambling generates approximately €8 billion in gross gambling revenue. Gross gambling revenue, or GGR, means the amount staked minus the prizes returned to players. This is only around 0.5% of Spain’s total economic output. Tourism, manufacturing, construction, retail and agriculture make much larger contributions. Gambling is better understood as a regulated leisure and entertainment sector than as a central part of the national economy.

The industry nevertheless creates employment and public income. Casinos employ dealers, security staff, cashiers, technicians, hospitality workers and compliance specialists. Published industry figures indicate that physical casinos directly support more than 7,000 jobs, while bingo halls, gaming arcades, betting businesses and machine operators employ many more people. Online operators also employ staff in technology, customer service, fraud prevention and safer gambling.

Licensed businesses pay gambling duties, corporate taxes, licence fees and social security contributions. Land-based casino taxation varies by autonomous community. Rates are normally calculated on GGR and may rise as revenue increases. Depending on the region and revenue level, casino tax rates can range from approximately 15% to more than 50%. Money collected through these taxes enters national or regional public budgets rather than being reserved for one specific social programme.

How Spain compares with other European markets

Spain’s closest regulatory comparison is Portugal. Both countries permit physical and online gambling under licensing systems. Portugal has a smaller market and generally places a heavier tax burden on some online products. Spain offers access to a larger customer base, but its division between national and regional authorities makes compliance more complicated. Spain could learn from Portugal’s more centralised supervision, while Portugal could consider Spain’s more detailed public reporting on online activity and player behaviour.

France is stricter about online casino games. It permits online sports betting, horse-race betting and poker, but does not generally license online slots, roulette or blackjack. Spain allows these games when they are supplied under the correct licence. Spain is therefore more open in the range of online products it regulates. France’s approach reduces legal access to fast casino games, although it may also push some demand towards offshore websites. Spain instead brings these games inside the regulated system, where identity checks and gambling controls can be applied.

Italy permits a broad selection of physical and online gambling, making it closer to Spain. However, Italy introduced an almost complete prohibition on gambling advertising and sponsorship. Spain has used restrictions on broadcasting times, social media, sponsorship, bonuses and the use of celebrities, but its rules have changed following court challenges. Italy offers Spain an example of a simpler advertising rule, although a total ban can make it harder for consumers to distinguish licensed businesses from illegal ones.

Gibraltar is not part of Spain or the EU, but it is an important nearby gambling centre. It has attracted international online operators through specialist regulation and comparatively low taxation. A Gibraltar licence does not give an operator permission to target customers in Spain. Spain’s system places more emphasis on local licensing, Spanish-language information, domestic reporting and Spanish gambling taxes.

Other European markets show the wider regulatory range. Germany is generally stricter, with a shared monthly deposit limit, detailed slot restrictions and central monitoring across licensed operators. Malta is more commercially open and has developed into a base for international gambling companies. However, an EU or Maltese licence does not work like a passport: a Malta-licensed casino must still obtain Spanish authorisation before serving the Spanish market.

Is gambling legal in Spain?

Adults aged 18 or over can take part in authorised gambling. The main legal forms include lotteries, casino table games, gaming machines, bingo, sports betting, horse-race betting and certain competitions. The operator, game and premises must all have the permissions required by the relevant authority.

Spain does not have one regulator for the entire physical industry. Each of the 17 autonomous communities regulates most gambling conducted within its territory. Regional authorities decide which venues may open, approve games and machines, inspect premises and impose regional taxes. The DGOJ coordinates national policy but does not replace these regional regulators.

A business seeking to open a physical casino usually needs authorisation from the relevant autonomous community. Some regions award casino permissions through a public tender rather than accepting applications at any time. Applicants may need to show:

• Who owns and controls the company.
• That the company has sufficient capital and reliable funding.
• The source of its money.
• A suitable business and security plan.
• Approved gambling equipment and technical systems.
• Measures against money laundering and fraud.
• Procedures for checking age and identity.
• Compliance with local planning and location rules.
• Payment of guarantees, licence fees and gambling taxes.

The exact process differs between Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia and the other communities. A licence for one region does not automatically permit a business to open casinos throughout Spain.

Casinos in Spain

Physical casinos may offer approved games such as roulette, blackjack, baccarat, poker and casino gaming machines. Casinos must control admission, prevent access by minors and self-excluded people, monitor transactions and follow anti-money-laundering rules.

Casino games generate more than €1.1 billion in combined land-based and online GGR. Approximately €390 million comes from physical casino activity, with the rest generated online. Revenue is shared between operating costs, salaries, suppliers, taxes and business profit. Casino taxes enter regional public budgets rather than automatically funding a named social purpose.

Bingo in Spain

Physical bingo halls are regulated by the autonomous communities, which approve premises, game formats, equipment and prize structures. The sector is smaller than lotteries, casinos or sports betting, but it remains an established part of Spain’s land-based market.

Bingo halls pay regional gambling duties and other business taxes. These payments normally go into general regional budgets. Online bingo is much smaller than online casino gaming and betting, generating around €15 million in annual GGR. 

Horse-race Betting in Spain

Horse-race betting is legal, but it represents a relatively small part of Spain’s gambling market. Bets may be offered at authorised racecourses, through regional betting businesses or through nationally approved services.

Horse betting has less economic importance in Spain than it does in countries such as the UK, Ireland or France. Its revenue is often reported together with other betting products, making a separate national total difficult to identify. Money generated may support operators, racecourses, prize funds and taxation, but Spain does not depend on horse-race betting as a major source of public revenue.

Lotteries and ONCE in Spain

Spain has one of Europe’s strongest lottery traditions. The national lottery began in 1812, when the first draw was held in Cádiz. It is now operated by the state-owned Sociedad Estatal Loterías y Apuestas del Estado, or SELAE. Its products include the National Lottery, the Christmas Lottery, La Primitiva, Bonoloto, El Gordo de la Primitiva and football pools. Spain’s other major lottery organisation is ONCE, a public-interest organisation that uses income from its lottery products to support blind people and people with other disabilities.

SELAE and ONCE have reserved rights that private businesses do not have. Together, state and public-interest lottery products generate more than €5 billion in annual GGR. SELAE contributes most of this amount. Its profit can be paid to the Spanish Treasury and used through the general public budget.

ONCE, meanwhile, has sold its well-known coupon since 1939 and now offers coupons, draws and instant-win products through authorised sellers and online channels. Its proceeds are used in line with the organisation’s public-interest purpose.

Is online gambling legal in Spain?

Online gambling is legal when the operator holds the required Spanish licences. The national system was created by Gambling Act 13/2011. The law established a common framework for gambling offered in more than one autonomous community and gave the DGOJ responsibility for authorisation, supervision, inspection and enforcement.

Licensed online gambling began operating under the new system in June 2012. The framework later expanded to include online slots, while technical standards, advertising controls and safer-gambling requirements continued to develop. The DGOJ now monitors operators’ systems and financial activity, handles complaints, publishes market data and imposes penalties for breaches.

An online business normally needs two levels of permission. A general licence covers a broad category such as betting or other games. A separate licence is then required for each product, such as roulette, blackjack, poker, bingo or slots. General licences are normally available only when the government opens a licensing window. Holding a licence elsewhere in Europe does not remove this requirement.

National lottery products remain reserved for SELAE and ONCE. A private online operator cannot simply create a competing national lottery. Games that fall outside an approved category may require further authorisation. Prediction markets can also be treated as gambling when customers stake money on uncertain future events.

Foreign casino brands can enter Spain, but they must meet Spanish conditions. An eligible company generally needs to be established in Spain or another European Economic Area country, disclose its owners, demonstrate financial and technical capacity, provide financial guarantees and connect its systems to the regulator’s controls. It must also use Spanish-approved payment, identity-verification and reporting procedures. An offshore licence is not sufficient on its own.

Licensed operators must verify that customers are adults and check whether they appear on Spain’s national self-exclusion register. They must provide deposit limits, responsible-gambling information and account records. Operators also have duties concerning player funds, complaints, fraud prevention, money laundering and the detection of risky gambling behaviour.

Spain has taken active measures against unlicensed websites. The DGOJ investigates companies that target Spanish residents without permission, publishes sanction decisions and can seek the blocking of illegal services. Recent action has also covered foreign prediction-market platforms because Spain considers paid betting on uncertain events to be gambling. Serious violations can result in multimillion-euro fines, website blocking and bans on operating in the country.

Advertising rules have been less stable. Royal Decree 958/2020 introduced strong limits on gambling promotions, sponsorship, bonuses, celebrity endorsements and digital advertising. The Supreme Court later cancelled several provisions because it found that the decree lacked enough support in primary legislation. Some promotions consequently returned. The government has since been working to restore parts of those controls through legislation and further consultation. This means claims that bonuses or influencer advertising are either completely permitted or completely prohibited should be checked against the rules currently in force.

Licensed online casinos in Spain use the euro. A player may sometimes deposit or withdraw using a bank account or card issued outside Spain, but the casino must still verify the customer’s identity and follow Spanish financial controls. Currency conversion may be applied by the player’s bank or payment provider if the original account uses another currency.

Bank cards are the most common way to fund licensed gambling accounts, accounting for approximately 73% of deposits. Electronic wallets represent around 12%, while bank transfers, instant bank payments, and prepaid cards make up most of the remaining activity. Common options may include Visa and Mastercard cards, bank transfers, digital wallets and local services such as Bizum. However, the available methods differ between operators.

Bank transfers play a larger role in withdrawals than deposits. They account for approximately one-third of money withdrawn, while cards receive around half of withdrawals. This difference exists partly because some prepaid or instant-payment methods can send money to a casino but cannot receive withdrawals.

Spanish rules require operators to check who owns a gambling account and where its money comes from. A casino may request identification, proof of address or evidence that a payment method belongs to the customer. Withdrawals may be delayed while these checks are completed. Licensed operators must also monitor transactions for fraud, money laundering and the use of another person’s identity.

Deposit limits

Spanish-licensed operators apply default deposit limits per day, per week and per month to each player account. Players can also set lower personal limits. Requests to reduce a limit should be applied promptly, while requests to increase or remove one are subject to additional checks and a waiting period.

Plus, Spain has approved a shared deposit-limit system for all licensed online gambling sites. Therefore, deposits made through different operators will be counted together. Players will be able to lower the standard limits immediately. Requests to raise or remove them will take effect after three business days.

Can Spanish banks block gambling payments?

Spain does not impose a general ban on bank or card payments to licensed gambling businesses. Credit cards are not prohibited for gambling in the same way as they are in the UK. Banks can nevertheless decline a transaction because of fraud controls, insufficient funds, account restrictions or their own risk policies.

Some banks and payment apps allow customers to activate an optional gambling block. These tools identify payments through the merchant category code attached to the transaction. Their availability and removal conditions depend on the bank. A block may stop card payments but not necessarily bank transfers, cash withdrawals or payments routed through another provider.

Spanish authorities can also act against payment activity connected with unlicensed gambling. This is different from a personal bank block: it is an enforcement measure directed at an unauthorised operator rather than a ban on ordinary payments to licensed sites.

Do players pay tax on casino winnings?

Operators pay gambling duties, but this does not always remove the player’s own tax responsibility. A person who is tax-resident in Spain generally reports net gambling gains through the annual personal income tax return. Gambling gains are treated as a capital gain within the general tax base and are taxed together with other relevant income at the applicable progressive rate.

Losses from gambling during the same tax period can be deducted from gambling winnings, but only up to the value of those winnings. Excess losses cannot create a tax credit or be used to reduce salary or other unrelated income. Players should therefore retain annual account statements showing deposits, withdrawals, winnings and losses across every operator they use. A separate system applies to qualifying prizes from SELAE, ONCE and certain recognised lotteries.

Spanish-licensed online casinos can offer slots, roulette, blackjack, baccarat and other authorised casino games. Poker and bingo are also legal, although the DGOJ records them as separate market segments. 

Slots are the most popular online casino genre by revenue. The latest complete figures show that they produce around 69% of online casino GGR. This means slots account for more money retained by operators after prizes than roulette, blackjack and other casino games. Their share has continued to grow as licensed sites have added larger mobile-friendly catalogues.

Live roulette is the second-largest part of the online casino segment. It generates considerably more revenue than computer-generated roulette and blackjack. Live games stream a real table and dealer from a studio, while players place bets through the casino website or app. The format combines the remote access of online gambling with some of the visual and social features of a physical casino.

International game suppliers can provide content to Spanish players, but each online operator remains responsible for making sure that the games offered through its Spanish site are approved and technically compliant. Therefore, a game developer’s Spanish catalogue may be smaller or different from the catalogue available through the same brand in another country.

Spain also has its own casino-game development industry. Several Spanish companies began in physical gaming machines before moving into online content. For instance, R. Franco Digital belongs to a Madrid gaming group with more than 60 years of experience. It develops online slots and supplies technology for both digital and retail gambling businesses. Its background in Spanish amusement and gaming machines gives many of its games a recognisable traditional slot style.

Zitro is a Spanish-founded company known internationally for video bingo and video slots. It produces cabinets for physical casinos and gaming halls as well as digital versions for online operators. Its growth shows how Spanish video-bingo technology has moved into the wider international casino market.

MGA Games, based in Barcelona, develops slots and video bingo for regulated online markets. The studio is particularly associated with locally themed games and titles based on Spanish television personalities, entertainment and popular culture. Among its popular creations are hits like Galactica, El Cartel, Fire Warlock Megaway, and La Bruja Fortuna.

Red Rake Gaming began in Valencia and produces online slots, video bingo and other casino games. It later expanded through international licences and distribution agreements, allowing games developed in Spain to reach operators in a wide range of regulated markets. Among its popular slots are titles like Wildcano, The Sherlock Files, Mata Hari the Spy, and Viva Las Vegas.

Spanish-licensed sites may therefore combine games from domestic studios with content from large international suppliers. On a side note, free social casino games that do not award money may fall outside Spanish gambling regulation, but a game involving a stake and a prize of monetary value normally requires authorisation.