Spain moves ahead with Gambling Act reform after meetings with the industry

Spain’s Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) has started a round of meetings with gambling-sector associations to review responses to a public consultation launched in May 2026. For PSPs and operators, the key point is that the draft reform is looking at tighter identity checks, stronger payment controls, and new rules on influencer and celebrity promotion.

1. On 22 July, the DGOJ said it had begun meeting industry bodies as part of the process to update Spain’s 2011 Gambling Regulation Act. The consultation is aimed at strengthening control mechanisms, expanding prevention measures, and stepping up the fight against illegal gambling.
2. One of the first meetings was with ANESAR, the Spanish association of gaming hall and amusement arcade operators. After the meeting, ANESAR said the discussion covered concerns about a possible expansion of public gambling products and terminals into new sales channels that are not subject to the same regulatory requirements as private gambling.
3. ANESAR also said the talks addressed the physical sector’s commitment to preventing access by minors and by people listed in gambling-exclusion registers, as well as the use of biometric identification systems to tighten access controls and reduce identity fraud.
4. The DGOJ said the public consultation received more than half a hundred submissions. After this round of meetings, the regulator will draft a preliminary bill, which will then go back into public information and hearing before the legislative process continues.
5. Jdigital, the Spanish online gambling association, also took part in the meetings. The DGOJ said the reform’s objectives include stronger identity verification and payment systems to prevent identity theft and underage access to gambling platforms, tougher action against illegal gambling, rules on celebrity and influencer advertising, and new tools to further protect players.