Introduction — Responsible Gambling as a Cornerstone of Spain’s iGaming Market
Spain’s online gambling market has developed into one of Europe’s most tightly regulated and socially responsible gaming environments. The Spanish gambling laws prioritize consumer protection and transparency, treating responsible gambling as a central pillar of policy.
Since the liberalization of online gambling in 2011, Spanish authorities have steadily refined their approach to ensure that the digital gaming landscape aligns with public health and social responsibility objectives. Between 2020 and 2025, regulatory momentum accelerated under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ).
Responsible gambling in Spain is now framed as both a legal and ethical commitment. It safeguards not only players’ financial and emotional well-being but also the integrity and credibility of the iGaming sector.
This article examines how Spain’s responsible gambling framework has developed, the new communication rules coming into effect in 2025, and how licensed operators and affiliates are involved with the Spanish responsible gambling market.
The Legal Framework — From Law 13/2011 to the 2025 Communication Decree
The Foundation — Law 13/2011 and DGOJ Oversight
The Spanish Law 13/2011 on the Regulation of Gambling established the modern legal basis for all online gaming activities in Spain. The law created a licensing system under which operators must obtain authorization from the DGOJ before offering gambling services to Spanish players.
Its core objective is dual: to ensure the orderly development of the gambling market and to protect consumers from fraud and gambling-related harm. To that end, Law 13/2011 enforces several key responsible gaming provisions:
- Player identification and verification: All participants must be verified adults legally eligible to gamble.
- Self-exclusion registers: The national Registro General de Interdicciones de Acceso al Juego (RGIAJ) allows individuals to voluntarily ban themselves from all licensed gambling websites.
- Mandatory display of responsible gaming information: Operators must provide visible access to support resources and highlight the risks associated with gambling.
The DGOJ, operating under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, oversees licensing, compliance, and enforcement. It monitors operators’ activities, investigates violations, and promotes responsible gaming awareness through national campaigns, as indicated by the DGOJ.
Strengthening Advertising and Transparency — Royal Decree 958/2020
The Royal Decree 958/2020 on commercial communications represented a major step in protecting vulnerable audiences. It imposed strict limits on gambling advertising, effectively banning celebrity endorsements, restricting broadcast hours, and prohibiting direct marketing to minors.
Beyond advertising restrictions, the decree aimed to improve the quality and honesty of gambling communication. All marketing materials must carry visible responsible gambling messages, and operators are obliged to maintain a clear separation between promotional and educational content.
This transparency-first requirement laid the groundwork for future reforms, ensuring that information about gambling odds, risks, and probabilities was presented in a balanced, factual and responsible manner rather than purely as means to advertise a games of chance offer.
Modern Protection Measures — Royal Decree 176/2023 and Beyond
Royal Decree 176/2023 expanded on these foundations with new consumer protection and data transparency obligations. The regulation introduced risk categorization systems to help operators identify patterns of potentially harmful gambling behavior. It also required greater transparency regarding odds, losses, and returns, giving players access to real-time account data.
Moreover, the decree strengthened deposit and playtime limits, ensuring that players could better control their gambling habits through proactive tools. Collectively, these measures reflected Spain’s shift from reactive regulation to preventive oversight, anticipating risks before they escalate into possible harm.
The New 2025 Initiative — Responsible Communication Regulation
In October 2025, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs announced a new decree updating the 2020 advertising rules. This initiative introduces a new requirement for all licensed operators to display factual, data-based warnings on their websites and advertisements. Examples include:
- “Gambling addiction is a risk of gambling.”
- “The probability of losing money is 75%.”
- “Total player losses are four times higher than total winnings.”
Unlike previous reforms focused on restricting marketing content, this measure prioritizes information and prevention. It aims to inform players through transparency, allowing them to make decisions based on evidence/circumstance rather than emotion. In doing so, the Ministry seeks to strengthen public trust in Spain’s regulated gambling system and further distinguish licensed operators from unregulated or offshore competitors.
Responsible Gambling Practices in Spain’s Licensed Market
How Licensed Operators and Affiliates Uphold Standards
All DGOJ-licensed operators, and the affiliates that promote them, must follow strict guidelines governing communication, marketing, and consumer protection. This includes:
- Prominently displaying links to responsible gambling resources and support organizations.
- Including age and risk disclaimers in all promotional materials.
- Avoiding ambiguous or misleading claims about winnings or odds.
Importantly, even third-party affiliates are accountable under these rules. Websites that review or list gambling operators may only promote legally licensed brands and must comply with DGOJ-approved advertising standards. Transparency in reviews, objective presentation of information, and the inclusion of responsible gambling messaging are mandatory.
Player Protection Tools
Spanish law mandates a wide range of player protection tools that help individuals manage their activity and reduce harm. Spanish-licensed operators must provide a comprehensive set of player protection tools designed to promote safe and responsible play.
Players can set personalized deposit and spending limits, which can be adjusted or lowered at any time to help manage their budgets and prevent overspending. Session time reminders and optional cool-off periods encourage users to take regular breaks and reflect on their gaming habits, fostering a more mindful experience. For those needing stronger safeguards, the self-exclusion system integrated into the RGIAJ allows individuals to voluntarily block their access to all DGOJ-licensed gambling platforms nationwide, ensuring effective, system-wide protection.
The DGOJ also coordinates public awareness and education campaigns, often in partnership with health organizations and universities, to reinforce responsible gambling habits. These initiatives emphasize informed decision-making and the importance of recognizing early signs of problematic behavior.
QMRA Certification — A Benchmark for Responsible Communication
The Quality Mark Responsible Affiliates (QMRA) certification represents an independent benchmark of ethical and transparent communication in the iGaming industry. It evaluates how operators and affiliates present gambling content to the public, focusing on factual accuracy, responsible gaming visibility, and compliance with DGOJ standards. A QMRA-certified entity is audited regularly to verify that:
- All information provided about gambling products is correct, verifiable and responsible.
- Responsible gaming tools, information and support resources are easy to access.
- Advertising and review practices align with Spanish legal and ethical guidelines, among which the DGOJ standards.
QMRA-affiliates such as SrCasino.es, holds the QMRA certification, reflecting a commitment to transparency and consumer protection. By maintaining high editorial and compliance standards, such affiliates demonstrate how information intermediaries contribute to a safer gambling environment, and a development of a responsible online gambling landscape.
QMRA certification thus acts as a quality seal for players and policymakers alike, signaling that a website’s content supports risk awareness and upholds Spain’s broader responsible gambling objectives.
The Human Side of Regulation — Awareness and Education
Transparency as Prevention
While regulation provides the legal foundation for player protection, it is awareness and education that ultimately prevent harm. Spain’s current policy direction, particularly the 2025 communication initiative, emphasizes behavioral prevention. By mandating that factual warnings accompany gambling content, the government reframes risk awareness as a public health priority.
This approach aligns with broader European trends that treat gambling-related harm as a preventable condition, not merely a matter of individual responsibility, wherein Spain is actively showing that strict and clear regulations with regards to responsible gambling behavior are important. Through clear communication and open data, Spain seeks to empower players to understand probabilities, manage risk, and recognize unhealthy habits early, leading to a more healthy and responsible online gambling market.
Collaboration Between Regulators, Experts, and Platforms
Sustainable responsible gambling ecosystems depend on cooperation between regulators, academic researchers, and private industry. Spain has actively encouraged this multi-stakeholder model, fostering collaboration that combines regulatory oversight with data-driven insight.
Platforms such as SrCasino.es exemplify how industry actors can support this mission: by publishing accurate reviews, linking exclusively to licensed operators, and prominently displaying responsible gambling resources. When industry stakeholders align with regulators in promoting evidence-based information, the result is a safer and more informed gambling environment for all.
Conclusion — Toward a Safer, Transparent iGaming Future
Spain’s responsible gambling strategy demonstrates that strong regulation and sustainable market growth can coexist. Through continuous reforms, from Law 13/2011, the 2025 communication decree and DGOJ standards, the country has built a framework rooted in transparency, consumer protection, and public trust.
With the DGOJ’s enforcement, the Ministry’s preventive communication policies, and the example set by QMRA-certified platforms like SrCasino.es, responsible gambling in Spain is evolving from regulatory obligation to cultural norm.
As the Spanish iGaming market matures, its guiding principle remains clear: a safer, more transparent, and socially responsible industry benefits both players and the long-term stability of the sector.
