Gaming in Spain 2026: Deposit Limits Face Legal Challenge

Spain’s regulated online gambling sector faces major changes as operators prepare to challenge new deposit restrictions and the government advances plans to revise gambling legislation. The Gaming in Spain Conference takes place in Madrid on October 15, bringing regulators, industry representatives and legal specialists together.

The event precedes a snap general election scheduled for November 29, raising questions about the government’s ability to pursue its wider gambling policy agenda.

Operators Prepare Supreme Court Challenge

Royal Decree 520/2026, published in Spain’s Official State Gazette on June 25, introduced cross-operator deposit limits. The rules establish default caps of €700 per day, €1,750 per week and €3,300 over four weeks, applying across operators licensed by the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ).

The regulator will administer the system centrally, with implementation scheduled for March 25, 2027. Customers’ deposits will fall under shared limits across participating operators rather than separate allowances at each platform.

Jdigital, the trade association representing Spain’s licensed online gambling operators, plans to challenge the decree before the Supreme Court. The association argues that the restrictions conflict with the existing legal framework and are disproportionate.

The challenge does not automatically suspend implementation. Unless the court grants interim measures, operators must continue preparing to connect to the DGOJ’s central system.

The government also plans to introduce a centrally mandated algorithm to detect problem gambling and has announced broader amendments to Spain’s Gambling Act. Licensed operators have indicated they will refuse to cooperate with the proposed legislative overhaul.

Election Adds Uncertainty To Wider Reforms

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a snap general election for November 29 after Congress rejected two housing decrees proposed by his minority government. The vote will take place around 10 months earlier than originally expected.

The election leaves uncertainty over whether the current administration will retain power and pursue its proposed gambling legislation. The deposit-limit timetable remains unchanged because the decree has already been published.

The political development follows widespread protests over housing shortages and disagreements over measures to address the crisis. The industry had anticipated that the current administration would leave office after the 2027 parliamentary elections.

Conference Brings Regulators And Operators Together

DGOJ Director General Mikel Arana will deliver the keynote. Justo Sancho, the regulator’s director of safe gambling, will join a panel examining cross-operator deposit limits.

Jorge Hinojosa, director general of Jdigital, will present the industry’s perspective on gambling reform and join the closing panel with Xavi Muñoz Bellvehí, managing partner at ECIJA Barcelona, and Patricia Lalanda, partner at LOYRA Abogados. National Police Chief Inspector David Calvete Sarasa will address fraud prevention.

Other sessions will examine Spanish market figures, game popularity across onshore and offshore markets, problem gambling detection and emerging betting formats. The programme will also cover EU anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing rules, alongside illegal gambling advertising on Meta’s platforms.

The conference will take place at Auditorio ECIJA, Serrano 69, Madrid. Discussions will address deposit-limit requirements and how the election could affect the government’s wider regulatory agenda.

Source:

“Gaming in Spain Conference opens amid regulatory uncertainty”, Press Release, October 2026