Spain Sets Unified Gambling Deposit Limits

Spain has approved a new framework that applies a single deposit limit across all licensed online gambling operators, introducing a nationwide system designed to strengthen player protection.

The measure was approved by the Council of Ministers on 23 June 2026 through a royal decree proposed by Pablo Bustinduy, Minister of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030. It replaces the previous model under which deposit limits applied separately to each operator.

The new limits are set at €700 per day, €1,750 per week and €3,300 over a four-week period across all licensed platforms combined. Previously, players could increase their total deposits by holding accounts with multiple operators.

Central System to Track Deposits

The Directorate-General for Gambling Regulation (DGOJ) will oversee the new framework and develop a technological system capable of monitoring deposits across the regulated market in real time.

The limits will apply by default, although players may modify or remove them through a formal procedure that includes information about gambling-related risks.

Government officials said the reform is particularly relevant for players who use more than one operator, a group estimated to represent 31% of active online gamblers in Spain. The ministry stated: “The weight of this figure reinforces the need to incorporate new preventative and protective tools, such as this royal decree on joint deposit limits, which represents an additional and complementary tool to the per-operator deposit limit system.”

Germany already operates a similar cross-operator deposit system, though its monthly cap of €1,000 is considerably lower than Spain’s new four-week limit.

Industry Raises Concerns

JDigital, the trade body representing licensed online operators, criticised the measure and questioned whether it is proportionate. The association cited DGOJ figures showing that around 80% of online gamblers use only one operator, arguing that the regulation affects a relatively small segment of the market.

The organisation also expressed concerns about the technical challenge of building a centralised platform capable of responding to gambling activity across the country in real time.

In its statement, JDigital said regulators have consistently “prioritised introducing restrictions on the legal market without accompanying measures to strengthen the competitiveness and attractiveness of regulated operators.”

Debate Extends Beyond Player Limits

The dispute has drawn comparisons with Spain’s gambling advertising restrictions introduced through a 2020 royal decree. Several provisions were later struck down by the Supreme Court, which ruled that measures of that scale required stronger legislative backing and had to be proportionate to their objectives.

JDigital has also warned that additional restrictions may encourage some players to use unlicensed gambling sites. Referencing research conducted by EY, the association noted that 23.4% of surveyed players had accessed unlicensed operators at least once, while 9.3% said they had done so knowingly.

As implementation moves forward, discussion is expected to focus on whether the new limits provide sufficient consumer benefits to justify their impact on the wider market.

Source:

“The Government approves a new system of joint deposit limits to strengthen the security of online players”, dsca.gob.es, Jun 23, 2026