Gambling Laws in Spain
Gambling in Spain is legal under the
Spanish Gaming Act (Ley 13/2011, de 27 de mayo, de regulación del Juego), which came into force on 29th of May, 2011. This act offers a legal definition of online gambling and makes all forms of
online gambling in Spain legal, providing thus unified legislation for the online gambling sector in the country. Due to the plurality of political units of Spain, the act only regulates gambling on a federal level. Regional gambling is also regulated with special legal acts coming from institutions of each region. However, a license obtained for providing online gambling games on a federal level is sufficient for operating in every region of the country.
The body responsible for the regulation of the gambling activities in the country is the General Directorate for Gambling Regulation (Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego). According to
Spanish gambling laws and in particular
The Royal Decree 1614/2011 of 14th of November 2011, licenses for providing any of the gambling games regulated by the
Spanish Gaming Act, on a federal level, can be obtained by the General Directorate for Gambling Regulation. Minors, under 18 years of age are prohibited to participate in gambling activities.
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Is Online Gambling Legal in Spain?
Yes. All forms of online gambling are legal in Spain.
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Online Casinos in Spain
There are several
online casino sites in Spain that are licensed according to the
Spanish Gaming Act. However, along with the general license, a specific one is required. So, the licensing system in the country grants licenses only according to the games one would provide, which means that each online casino in Spain has a different set of games offered.
Online Poker in Spain
Poker in Spain is an extremely popular pastime, with most of the casinos regularly offering attractive poker tournaments. The general regulations of the
Spanish Gaming Act apply to this game too, which means that online poker is considered to be legal in the country. There are various specialized
online poker sites in Spain. Worldwide poker giants such as
Party Poker and
PokerStars are some of the most prominent platforms. These sites offer attractive poker rooms in the country, with regular
online poker promotions.
Online Lottery in Spain
Loterías y Apuestas del Estado (LAE) together with Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles (ONCE) are the two licensed providers of all sorts of lotto games in the country including the
online lottery in Spain. In addition to those, only charity organizations can offer the game. The current Spanish national lottery was established by a
Royal Decree-Law 13/2010 on December 3. As of May 2019, they operate as a public entity owned by the Ministry of Finance and Public Administration of Spain.
Online Bingo in Spain
There are no specific
Spanish online bingo laws, but the game falls under the definition of “other games”. Therefore general regulations for that type of gambling apply. Bingo has a long tradition in Spain for which the multitude of bingo halls operating all over the country sufficiently speak. Consequently, there are also various specialized
online bingo sites in Spain.
Online Sports Betting in Spain
Online sportsbook sites in Spain are legal and highly popular. The regulation of the betting sector in the country is also supervised by the General Directorate for Gambling Regulation. Any supplier of online betting opportunities on the Spanish market must obtain a proper license. All of the major
sportsbooks in Europe hold Spanish licenses as of January 2018. Thus, there is a Spanish language version of
Bet365 Sportsbook or
Betway Sportsbook. Besides the possibility to access the sites through personal computers, a special app is provided for betting on mobile devices too.
Online DFS in Spain
Online DFS sites in Spain do not have a legally regulated status. There is an ongoing debate on the status of this type of game, but considering the legality of online sports betting in the country it is very probable that Daily Fantasy Sports would soon receive become legal across Spain.
