The Spanish Gambling Regulatory Authority has been very active recently, simultaneously funding research and advancing the public consultation for the revision of the advertising law. The Spanish Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and the 2030 Agenda has officially announced a competitive grant program totaling 950,620 euros, specifically to fund research on the prevention, impact, and risks of gambling harm. This funding is managed by the General Directorate of Gambling Regulation and is widely available to public and private universities, medical institutions, non-profit organizations, and R&D centers. From research to legislation, Madrid is seriously stepping up. The PASA website will also continue to monitor changes in regulatory trends on the Iberian Peninsula.
Six priority directions targeting youth and cross-industry integration
This grant is not to be taken lightly, as DGOJ has set very specific research directions, and all project applications must target one of the following six themes:
• Early identification of individuals with high-risk or severe gambling behaviors;
• Gambling-related personal, family, or social harms, covering mental health and financial distress;
• Development of tools, mechanisms, or processes to mitigate the adverse consequences of gambling;
• The crossover links between the video gaming industry and gambling, with a focus on lotteries, games of chance, poker, and betting;
• Structural characteristics of the lottery, games of chance, poker, and betting industries;
• The impact of gender differences on risky gambling behaviors. Projects are to start as early as January 2026 and must conclude by June 2027 at the latest.
Behind these six directions is the "Safe Gambling Plan (2026-2030)" released by DGOJ in March this year, which specifically mentions loot boxes, social casino products, and those mixed-game features that might make gambling seem "normal" to minors and young people. The government also emphasizes the need for gender-sensitive research, as the impact of gambling harm varies among different groups, and a one-size-fits-all prevention strategy simply does not work.
Simultaneous enhancement of advertising regulation provides a solid foundation for new account reductions
Just a few days before the announcement of the grant program, DGOJ also launched a public consultation on the revision of the "Gambling Regulation Law," with the core goal of tightening restrictions on celebrities and influencers appearing in gambling ads. According to the current discussion, gambling ads will only appear when users actively search for gambling brands. Looking back at Spain's advertising regulatory trajectory, the Royal Decree of 2020 directly banned gambling sponsorships and compressed TV and radio ads into a narrow window from 1 AM to 5 AM. That version of the decree also banned celebrity and influencer endorsements, but this measure was overturned in April 2024. Now DGOJ wants to bring it back, somewhat revisiting previous policies.
Is tightening regulation effective? A set of data can explain a lot. A study last summer found that after the Royal Decree was issued, the number of new online gambling accounts in Spain was directly cut in half: 1.35 million new accounts in 2023, a sharp drop of 55% from 3.01 million in 2020. This significant reduction also gives DGOJ the confidence to continue tightening measures. From investing money in researching the root causes of harm to tightening the scope of advertising, Spain's combination of strategies is clear—first understand how harm occurs, then cut off the source from the channels of dissemination.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leader," a gambling industry news channel: https://t.me/pasa_news
Original in-depth gambling channel: https://t.me/gamblingdeep
Free data reports: @pasa_research
PASA Matrix: @pasa002_bot
PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
