Official language: Spanish
Population: 46,157,822
Currency: Euro (EUR)

Current Exchange Rate
1 GBP = 1.0681 EUR
1 USD = 0.6754 EUR

Bingo in Spain
Gambling is a big deal in Spain. Along with more than 40 large scale casinos, and nearly 300,000 gaming machines, players have access to a staggering 500 bingo halls that are scattered all across the country. Bingo is the second biggest form of gambling in Spain as far as turnover goes – only the nation's lotteries produce more profits. Bingo wasn't always popular, because gambling laws in Spain were strict for a very long time. Once the laws were relaxed bingo in Spain began to flourish.

Bingo is so popular in Spain that in 2004 special regulations had to be put into place. The regulations attempted to control a growing problem of underground bingo halls. There were as many as 200 in the country at the time, generating millions of euros in annual profits. The new regulations also stipulated minimum distance between bingo halls, and a maximum of one bingo hall for every 100,000 people living in the city where the hall is located. These rules help curb the fierce competition among the country's four biggest bingo associations.

Online Bingo in Spain
Online bingo in Spain is becoming very popular as well. One of the forces driving the increasing popularity of internet bingo is the recent ban on smoking in public places across Spain. Many players who once frequented the country's bingo halls now play from home, where they are still free to smoke as they play. Land-based bingo halls have seen a drop in attendance since the smoking ban was put into place.

Within the next few years, many legal Spanish online bingo rooms will be opening. This is because the government is currently working on new legislation that will legalize and regulate gambling on the internet. Licenses to operate online bingo sites in Spain will be given to EU-based companies, and Spanish-language bingo websites are sure to open, allowing Spanish players access to online bingo games. Until this happens, Spanish players need to use foreign online bingo sites, some of which even provide services in Spanish.