Spain Betting Legal

Although Spain`s legalized gambling framework is relatively new, it has already attracted a number of major events that have cemented its reputation as one of Europe`s gambling capitals. The European Poker Tour will open season 10 in Spain, and it will be the largest poker circuit in the country when it kicks off on August 28. The country will also host the World Gaming Summit in July 2013, where more than 300 delegates from 90 offline and online casinos will gather to discuss the future of gambling. In addition to the lottery, both Crown corporations operate sports betting. In fact, they dominate the sports betting industry. Yes, the laws discussed on this website only apply to Spanish citizens and not to tourists. Tourists (expatriates, non-citizens, illegal migrants) can play freely online. However, unlicensed foreign gambling sites are blocked by internet service providers and are not accessible when using the Spanish internet infrastructure. However, the best sports betting apps offer an even better experience.

Most online bookmakers offer iOS and Android betting apps that you can download for free from the App Store or Google Play. In Spain, betting products, poker, casino games (such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat or bingo) and lotteries are generally allowed, but are subject to prior licensing or approval. The legal framework and the licensing or authorization regime for the above-mentioned products vary depending on whether they are offered at a distance or on land. The Law on Games of Chance restricts the possibility of offering occasional and non-occasional gambling activities to legal and natural persons who fall under the prohibitions of the Law on Games or the laws of the Autonomous Communities that regulate these matters. The Gambling Act requires gambling operators to deposit bank bonds or other types of collateral to ensure compliance with the obligations set out in the Gambling Act. In order to protect consumers and ensure responsible gambling, operators are not allowed to provide credit or other credit or financial support to participants in gambling activities. The best online betting sites in Spain offer competitive odds for Liga ACB, the top division of the Spanish basketball league system. The competition features 18 teams, including FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. As regards gambling at national level, prior to 2011, only lotteries and sports, including horse betting, were regulated and reserved for certain specific operators in a closed market (see section I.iii above).

Since 2011, the current legislation, including with regard to online gambling, is the Gambling Act. To apply for remote gaming licenses, several legal, financial and technical documents must be submitted to the DGOJ, which has a maximum of six months to examine the application and grant or reject the requested license. There is no limit to the number of licences to be issued; Therefore, in principle, all operators who meet the technical, financial and legal requirements receive the corresponding license. It should be stressed that in terms of financial needs, one of the most important is the need to provide a financial guarantee of EUR 2 million. EUR per framework license and open a bank account with a Spanish bank into which all deposits, prizes and player funds are deposited. In April 2017, the DGOJ created the Global Betting Market Investigation Service (Servicio de Investigación Global del Mercado de Apuestas – “SIGMA”) within the Sub-Directorate of Gaming Inspection to cooperate in the prevention and control of fraud, and in particular in the fight against match-fixing, the protection of the integrity of sport and sporting ethics, and the protection of the integrity of betting markets. The DGOJ`s main sanctioning activity in 2019 (latest official data) can be summed up in 234 disciplinary proceedings initiated and 146 sanction decisions worth €32,394,600. The amount and scope of fines have increased over the past year. Since Spaniards are crazy about the lottery, it`s no surprise that this and other forms of gambling are now legal. Unfortunately, gambling was illegal for Spanish players until 1977, so they had no other options to play than the lottery.

In 1977, after gambling was decriminalized, they could enjoy as many games as they wanted, as a wave of new technology made their already existing machines obsolete. It was on 29 May 2011 that the Spanish Gambling Code was introduced and online and land-based gambling was to be regulated by this law. The best Spanish bookmakers offer a wide range of betting markets and generous promotions that only add to the excitement. At each of our recommended Spanish betting sites, you`ll find a wide range of sports, from the latest basketball and tennis games to cycling races and major eSports events. /Comment: The category “machine games” (as it is called in gambling legislation, it means slot machines) could also include Japanese pachinko machines, if you know the legal status of pachinko machines in Spain, please leave a comment. Thanks / Online sports betting was the first form of online gambling to be legalized in 2006 (along with the online lottery).