Spanish lawmakers have attributed the return of win bonuses as ushering in a significant surge in iGaming activity.

Data published by the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and the 2030 Agenda (MAS) revealed that the number of online players increased by 21.36% last year and the number of accounts by 23.48%.

Welcome bonuses were banned in Spain in 2020 as part of wider advertising and marketing reform under Royal Decree 9587/2000. However, they returned in April 2024 after a Supreme Court annulled aspects of this decree.

According to data from the DGOJ, Spain’s gambling regulator, €526m was invested in marketing campaigns by Spanish betting firms during 2024, divided among promotions (€261m), advertising (€203m), membership expenses (€56m) and sponsorships (€5.45m).

News of the impact of welcome bonuses has spread alarm throughout Spanish lawmakers, as Pablo Bustinduy, the Minister who heads up MAS, has subsequently proposed an amendment to ban promotional incentives.

If implemented, the restrictions would sit alongside a growing wave of structural reform in the country and cement its place as one of the most tightly regulated jurisdictions within Europe – alongside the likes of the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium.

These changes are headlined by a likely return of advertising restrictions, cross-platform deposit limits and a government-backed algorithm to detect gambling harm.

Although designed to protect players, industry experts have previously issued warnings that tightening regulations must be complemented by an efficient player experience.

Speaking at the recent Gaming in Spain conference, Jorge Hinojosa, Director General of Jdigital, told attendees that stringent measures only solve part of the problem.

“The reforms introduced over the past seven years have rightly focused on player protection,” he said. “But they have not been complemented, in my opinion, by policies to keep the market more competitive.”

Hinojosa emphasised that there needs to be recognition that operators, the DGOJ, and the wider industry have a “common job” to ensure that Spain develops a stronger gambling market through measures such as allowing new modalities like live casino.

An attractive prospect

Further data published by the DGOJ in the Annual Profile of Online Players 2024 also illustrates the opportunity that the Spanish market offers for operators.

The market gained over 459,000 new players in 2024, bringing the total number of active players to almost 2 million. Of this 2 million, over 80% are men and over 85% are young, aged between 18 and 45.

Elsewhere, the Spanish Gaming Activity Report revealed that operators raked in over €8m in profits in 2024. 

Breaking it down by segment, casino gaming was the largest with €730.7m in profits, followed by sports betting at €608.8m, poker at €100m and bingo at €149.4m. Sports betting profits saw the sharpest growth of 23.8%, followed by casino (16.96%), although online poker profits dropped by 4.99%.

Source