Spain’s gambling advertisement restrictions led to a 55% decrease in new accounts being opened since its introduction in 2020.
Implemented five years ago, the 2020 Royal Decree aimed to prevent minors from being exposed to gambling ads by changing the laws around advertising in the industry.
That meant advertising became restricted to between 1am and 5am across television, radio and social media. Casino sign up bonuses for new accounts were also prohibited, meaning operators could only target existing players with offers.
Additionally, sports clubs were banned from partnering with gambling firms but the government did a U-turn on a number of these new laws in April 2024.
Online casinos were permitted to advertise games and promotions to new customers, as well as the ability to include famous people in their marketing and advertise on social media which was previously forbidden too.
New Online Gambling Accounts Down By 55% In Spain Following New Legislation
The Harm Reduction Journal published research earlier this month which detailed the number of new online gambling accounts opened in 2023 was just 1.35 million – down 55% from the 3.01 million in 2020.
The measures were implemented between November 2020 and August 2021, leading to a permanent decrease in gambling activity across the country.
The number of new accounts being created decreased continuously in three consecutive years after 2020, going from 2.61 million in 2021 to 1.37 million in 2022.
Despite New Accounts Dropping, Overall Player Deposits Increased In Spain
The government may have reached some of their goals, but overall player deposits increased in all three years after the legislation was introduced.
Deposits enjoyed a steady rise from €2.19 billion in 2020 to €3.18 million in 2023. The Royal Decree introduced deposit limits with new laws, capped at €600 per day, €1,500 per week and €3,000 per month.
The total amount wagered also increased from €20.75 billion in 2020 to €26.5 billion in 2023. There was a small decrease in that department in 2022, down ever so slightly to €25.25 billion from €25.33 billion in 2021.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
