Recent research shows that the spread of illegal online gambling in Spain far exceeds official expectations. A survey conducted by Ernst & Young on behalf of JDigital found that nearly a quarter of online players had used unlicensed platforms, with nearly half of them even unaware that they had stepped into a regulatory gray area.
The astonishing scale of the black industry
Did you know? In 2024, the illegal online gambling market in Spain generated 231 million euros in revenue, equivalent to 16% of the legal market. Even more surprisingly, high-intensity players who spend over 600 euros per month support more than 60% of the transactions in this gray market. These data come from a field survey of 1095 adult players, revealing just the tip of the iceberg of the underground gambling empire.
The lure of bonuses and cognitive confusion
"High rebates are indeed tempting," nearly 30% of players admit this is the main reason for turning to illegal platforms. Since they are not restricted by Spanish advertising regulations, unlicensed operators can offer bonuses far beyond compliant platforms. The survey also found that 26% of players cannot distinguish the legality of platforms, and among young people aged 18-24, 32% are completely unaware of the existence of unlicensed operations. This cognitive confusion leads to 47.5% of players who claim to "only play on regular platforms" actually using foreign domain names like ".com" and ".bet".
Social platforms become a hotbed for promotion
Short video platforms are becoming a hotbed for illegal gambling! 38% of illegal platform users come across these sites through YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram, and Telegram's lead generation effect is three times that of regular channels. Experts point out that these "opaque digital channels" are reshaping the user acquisition model, advising players to check the list of licensed institutions on the PASA official website to ensure safety.
Regulatory crackdown continues
Facing rampant violations, the Spanish Department of Social Rights issued a 33 million euro fine in November 2025, with six unlicensed operators each fined 5 million euros and forced to close down. This year's cumulative fines have already exceeded 110 million euros, with total fines nearing 500 million euros since the mandatory public disclosure of penalties in 2021. This strong regulatory stance echoes the overall environment in Europe—illegal gambling revenue now accounts for 71% of the industry's total revenue.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leader" gambling news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
Original in-depth gambling channel:https://t.me/gamblingdeep
Free data report: @pasa_research
PASA Matrix: @pasa002_bot
PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
