Spanish Online Casinos 2020, online casino spain.

Online casino spain

New casino sites to play real money

The euro is one of the most valuable currencies in the world, and also one of the most widely-accepted currencies at online casino sites. Finding a casino that does business in euros can save you from paying stiff fees or spending time and money converting your own currency. In order to gain a foothold in the online market, new legislation about online gambling in spain is changing as this is being written. Starting in 2002, the spanish government started researching ways to regulate and legalize online gambling and allow for online casino sites to earn gaming licenses from the spanish government. According to industry analysts, we will see spanish-based online gambling licenses available to EU-based casino site operators sometime in the next two years.

Spanish online casinos 2020

Spain is a member of the european union and the native currency of spain is the euro. Thanks to the euro, citizens of spain have access to lots of online gambling sites. Europe is a major market for online casinos, especially after many were forced out of the north american market. Because of a focus on the european market, it’s easy to find online casino sites that do business in euros.

Spanish online casinos are any online casino sites that accept bets from citizens of spain and allow financial transactions in euros. Though the legal landscape of online gambling in spain is changing, spanish people do for the most part currently have access to legal online gambling. Big changes are on the horizon for online gambling in spain, as the spanish government moves to regulate and control online casino gambling much like state governments in the US or governments in some regions of europe.

Is online gambling legal in spain?

Spain has fairly relaxed gambling laws. All forms of gambling are legal in spain, including traditional casino gambling, online casino play, lotteries, and sportsbooks. All of these forms of gambling are controlled by the government, but are available in some form in spain’s borders.

Legal gambling in spain is a product of the late 20th century. For 150 years of spain’s history, from the early 19th century into the 1970s, all forms of gambling were illegal in spain except for state-sponsored lotteries. In 1977, the spanish government, hurting for new sources of revenue, legalized and started regulating skill-based gambling. It took another four years for the spanish government to get comfortable enough with gambling revenue to legalize games of chance, so slot machines and other luck-based games weren’t legal until 1981.

These days, the spanish gambling industry is in a period of renaissance, making spain one of the busiest gambling nations in the world. The spanish people spend twice as much on gambling every year as the gambling-happy UK. Because of heightened activity in gaming, new legislation has been passed or is in the works to give the spanish government a piece of the online gambling pie.

In 2008, spain was divided into 17 gambling districts, with each region given the exclusive power to grant gambling licenses. As of this writing, spain is home to 40 casinos and more than 250,000 gambling machines such as slots in airports and bars. The only country with more standalone gaming machines is the UK. Sportsbooks are hugely popular in this football-crazed country, with legal sports gambling making up a big chunk of the increased gaming revenue throughout spain.

In order to gain a foothold in the online market, new legislation about online gambling in spain is changing as this is being written. Starting in 2002, the spanish government started researching ways to regulate and legalize online gambling and allow for online casino sites to earn gaming licenses from the spanish government. According to industry analysts, we will see spanish-based online gambling licenses available to EU-based casino site operators sometime in the next two years.

In short, online casino gambling is fully legal throughout spain. In fact, spanish gamblers will soon have a lot of new options for online gambling, thanks to the spanish governments involvement in the control of online gambling websites.

Spanish online casinos & playing for real money in euros

The euro is one of the most valuable currencies in the world, and also one of the most widely-accepted currencies at online casino sites. Finding a casino that does business in euros can save you from paying stiff fees or spending time and money converting your own currency.

Since citizens of spain use the euro as their native currency, it is important for online gamblers in spain to play at real online casinos that accept financial transactions in euros. Currency conversion is a possibility, especially since so many ewallets and other payment transfer methods have their own currency conversion systems, but since so many online casinos accept the euro for deposits and withdrawals, there’s no reason to choose the expense of currency conversion and the time added to your transaction while you want for your currency to convert.

While you’re at it, look for casinos that offer their software or customer support services in spanish. Many spanish people speak spanish as their native language, though a small portion of the population of spain speak catalan. It is far easier to find an online casino that supports the spanish language than one that supports catalan. But the good news is, many international casino websites do offer spanish software or customer service. With so many online casinos catering to spanish players, it doesn’t make sense to stumble through another language or struggle to use another currency.

The future of online casinos in spain

For the first time since gambling was decriminalized in 1977 and then again in 1981, there have been big changes to spanish online gambling law, and more are on their way.

The spanish council of ministers is working on legislation that is being fast-tracked through the spanish political system to put laws in place that build a tax plan for all online bets. These laws will also outline the legal framework for spain’s casino gambling licensing system, a guide for casino operators that want to earn casino gambling licensing or work directly with spanish gamblers.

Like pro-gambling legislation in other countries, these new laws are designed to protect minors and problem gamblers; this was required to get the law through the more conservative areas of the spanish government.

Already, one land based spanish casino operator (gran madrid) has earned the first online operator license from spain, a feat they accomplished in may of 2011. The next step for the spanish government will be to launch an IPO in 2012 to privatize their national public lottery, providing additional tax revenue of €6 billion to help put a dent in the national debt. We can only assume that an IPO for the new spanish casino gambling venture can follow.

The spanish government was uncomfortable with what it called a “legal vacuum” that online gambling operated in, the same legal vacuum that online gambling occupies in north america. Without a legal framework in place to control online gambling in spain, the spanish government was essentially allowing unregulated gambling to take place. Other world governments would be smart to follow spain’s example.

Online casino spain

During franco’s dictatorship, all forms of gambling were forbidden. The only exception to this rule was the national lottery. However, in 1977, during the period of transition to democracy, gambling was fully legalized. Casinos started to multiply and now there are dozens of large-scale facilities across the country. And since 2012 that online casino sites in spain are also regulated.

Are online casinos legal in spain?	Yes.
Are casino sites in spain trustworthy?	Yes.
Can I deposit via paysafecard/sofort/skrill?	Yes.
Do online casino sites accept EUR?	Yes.

Online casino laws in spain

Land-based casinos are regulated at a regional level in spain. However, the same doesn’t apply to online platforms, which are, under the spanish gaming act , supervised by the directorate general for the regulation of gambling, part of the ministry of finance. Operators holding a federal license don’t have to apply for a regional one.

In order to be granted a license of “other games”, casinos must first apply for a general license, which is valid for 10 years, and then for a specific one, being this valid for at least one year, but it can go up to 5 years. For this reason, each operator offers different games.

There are many domestic online casino sites , but the spanish market also has some of the most popular international platforms licensed. These include websites such as 888casino or betsson casino , that offer gamblers a wide variety of game and where they can claim some of the best online casino bonuses . The spanish authorities actively block unlicensed websites.

Online casino payment methods in spain

There are several ways through which players can deposit and withdraw their winnings. Naturally, they are all transparent and legitimate so that they are given safe and fair environments when using online casino sites . This way, the credit and debit cards of VISA and mastercard are commonly accepted. But there are other alternatives that are as efficient and reliable. These include skrill, neteller, paypal, paysafecard or sofort. More information is available on the online casino reviews directory .

Online casino sites accepting EUR

Due to spain’s legislation on gambling, there are several websites targeting residents in the country. This means that it is possible to find many online casino sites accepting EUR , allowing gamblers to be exempt from conversion fees.

Spain online casinos

Top 10 spain online casinos 2020 & online gambling guide

Gambling in spain is legal in various forms both online and offline and is regulated by the government. Today in spain you can find land-based casinos, bingo halls, lotteries, slot machines and sports betting shops. Some of the most common forms of online gambling activities include online poker, online sports betting, online casinos (with slots and other online casino games), online bingo and online lottery.

Spanish citizens can play at hundreds of gambling sites, some of which are home-grown, but the vast majority are foreign gambling sites that are licensed abroad and operate from outside of spanish borders. All of this is overseen by the general directorate for gambling regulation, and the main legislation that legalized gambling in the country was the spanish gambling act. There are no laws that prevent spanish players from playing at foreign controlled gambling sites.

On this page you will find:

Top 10 best online casinos in 2020 for spain players

The top 10 best online casino sites for spain players to gamble at for real money. Rankings organized by reputation, customer support, bonus offer and quality of the gaming experience.

• Deposit bonus €200


• Year founded 2019


• Customer support 6/10


• Works on:

visit cashimashi casino

• Deposit bonus €500


• Year founded 1997


• Customer support 10/10


• Works on:

visit party casino

• Deposit bonus €200


• Year founded 2018


• Customer support 7/10


• Works on:

visit betzest casino

• Deposit bonus €200


• Year founded 2011


• Customer support 7/10


• Works on:

visit bet rebels

• Deposit bonus €250


• Year founded 2000


• Customer support 6/10


• Works on:

visit bonkersbet casino

• Deposit bonus €450


• Year founded 2014


• Customer support 7/10


• Works on:

visit campeon casino

• Deposit bonus €500


• Year founded 2018


• Customer support 6/10


• Works on:

visit zet casino

• Deposit bonus €200


• Year founded 2018


• Customer support 6/10


• Works on:

visit casiplay casino

• Deposit bonus €200


• Year founded 1999


• Customer support 9/10


• Works on:

visit betfair casino

Gambling history in spain

For a very long time, more than 100 years, the only real form of gambling in spain was the lottery. This all changed when in 1977, games of skill became legal, and this paved the way for even more gambling activities to start appearing in the country over the coming years. In 1981 the government also then made games of chance legal too. Ever since then spanish citizens have been able to play on their favourite casino games at a land-based casino, and in more recent times at online casinos.

In 2002, the spanish government began developing and fine-tuning it’s gambling regulatory framework and the major piece of legislation that encompasses gambling in the country, the spanish gambling act, was finally passed in 2011. Today there are hundreds of fully licensed gambling sites that spanish players can enjoy placing a wager at, but the majority of today’s best spanish online casinos (and other similar gambling sites) are foreign controlled, and their operations are based overseas.

Spain gambling & online gambling laws

Online gambling is officially regulated in the country by the general directorate for gambling regulation and the spanish gambling act led to a well-regulated industry. It basically regulates national gaming operations through electronic, interactive and technological means, and this includes gambling via numerous mediums of communication systems such as telephone landlines, mobile phones, television and the internet.

To gamble in the real money mode today in spain (either online at any of the hundreds of gambling sites that are currently available, or at licensed land-based gambling venues such as casinos and sports betting shops), you must be at least 18 years of age. Spanish players are not breaking the law when playing at foreign gambling sites, and there are currently plenty to choose from.

The only real downside to the gambling laws in spain is that unfortunately under spanish law, not all gambling winnings are tax exempt. If you win anything less than €2,500, then you won’t be taxed, but any winnings above this set amount are subject to a 20% tax rate. However, a law that was passed in 2012 does allow gamblers to discount their gambling losses from tax paid on any gambling winnings accrued in the same tax year.

Online casino benefits to players from spain

Today spanish players can access some of the very best online casinos in the world thanks to their developed regulatory system and clear laws that are currently in place. This means that you can also enjoy playing on some of the best online casino games in the world (and live dealer games) that have been developed by numerous industry-award-winning online casino software providers such as netent, playtech, microgaming and others (e.G. IGT interactive, WMS gaming, evolution gaming, red tiger gaming, rival gaming, quickspin, betsoft gaming and yggdrasil gaming).

One of the main benefits to players from spain who play at foreign gambling sites or home-grown ones is that they all accept euros. Therefore you can always play in a currency that you are familiar with, plus you can also deposit and withdraw using a wide range of popular spanish online payment options (e.G. Credit cards, debit cards and e-wallets).

You can claim a guaranteed new player welcome bonus when you sign up and deposit for the very first time, plus you can also benefit from some attractive perks, rewards and benefits thanks to the loyalty and VIP programs. That’s not all though. At today’s best spanish online casinos you can choose between playing on desktop or mobile and either instantly in your web browser or from within a secure download client, plus you get to play in a secure online environment which is protected by the latest and most advanced SSL encryption technology.

FAQ useful to players from spain

Can I gamble in the real money mode at foreign gambling sites?

Yes. You can gamble at hundreds of fully licensed foreign gambling sites, and the good news is that you’re not breaking the law.

Can foreign gambling sites that welcome spanish players be trusted?

Yes. The best spanish online casinos tend to be the ones that are licensed in the UK, in gibraltar and malta. Spanish players also have access to hundreds of other foreign gambling sites that are licensed in places such as kahnawake and curaçao.

Do I have to pay taxes on my gambling winnings?

Unfortunately yes, but only if your winnings are above €2,500. Any winnings above this set amount are subject to a 20% tax rate.

Can I play in euros and what kind of online payment options are accepted at foreign gambling sites?

Yes. Euros are accepted, and there are plenty of popular spanish online payment options to choose from that enable you to easily deposit & withdraw.

If I have, for example, a technical issue or just a general question about the casino, what’s the best way to get in touch with the casino?

Spanish online casinos today generally provide 24/7, professionally trained player support and the best way to get in touch with the casino is via live chat, email or telephone (the latter of which is quite often toll-free for spanish players).

Online gambling highlights in spain

• Spanish players currently have access to hundreds of the world’s best online gambling sites


• Enjoy playing on thousands of world-class online casino games from numerous industry-award-winning online casino software providers


• Live dealer games such as live roulette, live blackjack, live baccarat, live casino hold’em and live dream catcher also now widely available


• Claim a guaranteed new player welcome bonus when you sign up and the look forward to even more frequent bonuses (such as cashback bonuses, free spins bonuses and matching deposit bonuses) and prize-packed promotional offers


• Play regularly in the real money mode for some fantastic rewards, perks and benefits with the amazing loyalty programs


• Play on the games either instantly in our web browser, or occasionally, from within a secure download client


• Today’s best spanish gambling sites are available on desktop and mobile, and they are controlled by trustworthy operators with proven track records


• Gamble in your currency of euros and choose from plenty of popular spanish online payment options

Problem gambling help in spain

Spain seems to have more support for problem gamblers than almost any other country on our list. There are literally too many organizations to list individually here, and this includes internationally accredited and home-grown problem gambling websites and numerous land-based rehab centres dotted that are around the country, some of which are free and some of which can be quite costly.

There are toll-free telephone numbers that you can call 24 hours per day which can put in touch with professionally trained counsellors, plus you can also generally find live chat support and email support features at these websites, with useful links provided to you by the casino (or another similar online gambling site) that you have signed up to. These spanish problem gambling websites also tend to have online forums or online chatrooms where you can use the live text chat feature to talk about issues related to problem gambling, and you can also normally find useful articles, questionnaires, faq sections and more.

Top online casinos

Here are 4 best united kingdom online casinos
based on reputation, bonuses and games

The best spain licensed online casino

For many years there was no gambling regulator in spain. All gambling activities were somewhere in the gray area of the economy. The spanish government decided that they too could have a benefit of regulated gambling in spain. On the 5th of june, 2012 the gaming market was officially open with the launching of the dedicated websites with .Es.
Before this, gambling services were regulated by their respective local authorities. At that time casino operators could have operate without a national license, however, they had their marketing limited solely to the local territory.

Top 3 online casinos licensed in spain

• Opt in required. Available 1x per customer. First deposit only.


• Welcome bonus of 100% up to £300 + 50 free spins


• The minimum qualifying deposit is £10.


• The bonus expires after 7 days. Players must complete the wagering requirements within that timeframe.


• Players need to wager the bonus amount 40x.


• New customers to casino page only.


• Games contribute differently to wagering requirements.


• Player, currency, country, game restrictions & terms apply.


• 18+, new players only. Gamble responsibly - www.Begambleaware.Org


• All bonuses are subject to the william hill casino T&C.

Wagering requirement:

Casino at bet365 - up to £100 new player bonus!

• New casino customers only.


• Deposit min. £10. Applies to first deposit to casino only. Max. Bonus £100. 15x wagering (game weighting applies) on deposit and bonus to make the bonus balance withdrawable. 18+, time limits and T&cs apply.

Welcome bonus of 100% up to €/$100 + up to 100 freespins on starburst or book of dead.

• For the welcome bonus of 100% up to €/$100, bonus funds are credited in several instalments after the player completes certain wagering thresholds.


• The minimum qualifying deposit for the match deposit bonus is €/$10. The player should claim the bonus within 14 days of the day of registration.


• Players making a deposit of at least €/$25 are also eligible for €/$10 in free spins.


• Players can choose between 100 book of dead or 100 starburst freespins by sending an e-mail with username and the desired game title in the subject line to [email protected]


• Free games will be credited on the following monday.


• Players from the following countries cannot claim this offer: united states, france, turkey, poland, italy, croatia, estonia, finland, latvia, lithuania, romania.

Wagering requirements

Licenses

The regulator of gambling services and casino games is the spanish gambling commission. It is a part of the spanish ministry of finance. Willing applicants can apply for one of the three available licenses:

• General license – lasts 10 years


• Single license – lasts 1-5 years


• Permits – intended for occasional activities

These licenses cover all sorts of sports betting and gambling services you can think of.
Eligible parties that can apply for one of the three licenses must be a publicly limited company registered in spain. Taxes range between 20%-30% and there is an additional gross profit tax of 25%.

Security and supervision

After so many years of unregulated gambling the spaniards wanted to make the rules and regulations perfect the first time. The gambling central unit has to be located in a place where the authorities can monitor its activities. On top of this before even make the pilot testing of the website all of the equipment the casino operator has is thoroughly tested for any loopholes or features that might be against the player’s interest.
Be aware that only residents of spain can wager on casinos that are licensed by the spanish gambling commission. Operating a casino illegally in spain can be the reason for penalties reaching staggering 50m EUR.

The spanish changeover

A fair move the spanish government made was to allow the already present online casinos to apply for a license according the new instated regulations. They gave them time to prepare for the requirements. This was a sign of good will. Another thing the authorities did was deleting all casinos’ databases. All information regarding their players were erased.

Online casinos accepting players from spain

Online gambling has been legal, licensed, and regulated since 6 june 2012. Nationwide, the law is administered by the directorate-general for gambling regulation (DGOJ). Although the first licenses were issued in 2012, the law actually came into force the day after the gambling act was published in the spanish state gazette (boletín oficial del estado) on 28 may 2011.

Land-based gambling is regulated on a region by region basis. Each of the 17 autonomous regions has regulated

gaming on their own since gambling was decriminalized in 1977. In most cases, the regulatory body answers to the region's department of finance or department of the interior.

While the gambling act was meant to harmonize regulation in the country and bring laws up to date in the face of cross border online casinos, it remains slightly complicated when an online casino or other betting site chooses to only offer services in one or more specific regions, rather than nationwide. In these cases, the online operator must be licensed at the regional level.

Locating the licenses of entities authorized in certain regions can be time-consuming and difficult. However, there are ways for players to identify legitimately licensed and regulated sites.

The federal government maintains information portals to help consumers understand the differences between "safe play" and illegal casinos.

Top 8 spanish casinos

Online casinos licensed in spain

Consumers can also find a comprehensive list of licensed online operators at the national level. Fortunately, many top name brands have chosen to offer services to spaniards in all regions. Among these are 888 and 777 (but not 666), botemania, bet365, titanbet, leovegas, and many others.

The DGOJ takes an active role in trying to prevent residents from accessing unlicensed gambling web sites. They can order internet service providers to block access to unlicensed websites. Advertising restrictions can also be enforced against local media operators.

As of the first part of 2020, a complete ban on gambling advertisements was still a pipedream for anti-gambling advocate groups and some people in the government. Industry lawyers have vowed to fight any such ban.

Maarten haijer, secretary-general of the european gaming and betting association (EGBA) said at the gambling in spain conference:

"gambling markets cannot function properly without advertising – because advertising highlights the licensed gambling companies to consumers, which, in turn, supports their participation in the regulated market".

However, the DGOJ, through its joint monitoring committee, beefed up the country's "voluntary advertising code" in january to include such changes as a ban on marketing welcome bonuses over €200, a moratorium on 'active athletes' endorsing products, a restriction on commercial actors under the age of 25, and a requirement to include responsible gambling warnings on all advertisements.

Online casinos in spain with other licenses

Many top-performing online casinos accept players from spain. While the malta gambling authority issues licenses to operators to provide services in over 180 european and other countries, they do not step on the DGOJ's toes by allowing their licensees to accept bets from residents in spain. Italy, portugal, and even denmark are in the same boat when it comes to offshore licenses.

This is an unfortunate policy decision by the MGA as the european court of justice has determined that any company within the EU that is licensed can offer services to residents in any other EU member state.

Casinos licensed in alderney, the isle of man, gibraltar, and jersey seem to accept players from spain. However, most of the offshore operators that are not licensed by the DGOJ are licensed in the caribbean, usually in curacao.

Curacao is part of the kingdom of the netherlands and has its own licensing jurisdiction, separate from holland's. Regulators there take no interest in player protections as far as fair bonus terms, but they do maintain anti-money laundering (AML) and know your customer (KYC) protocols, as well as enforce gambling age limits and ensure that an operator is well enough financed to carry on operations.

No license other than a spanish license is recognized. Spain has historically been the heaviest levier of fines on unlicensed operators with sanctions surpassing one million euros in 2016 alone, whereas malta only imposed total penalties of €1,417 that year.

The regulators do not sanction players who gamble on unlicensed websites.

Website blocking

Spain is one of the 18 EU/EEA member states that use website blocking as a regulatory enforcement tool. We'll leave it to the reader to determine whether that is for player protection or to protect tax revenues. Regardless of the motive, authorities have had some success with the measures.

DNS blocking is one of the tools used. In order to block a site, the casino usually must offer a spanish language version, address media to or otherwise recruit spanish players, and it must accept the local currency, euros in this case.

The DGOJ has the authority to issue website blocking orders to internet service providers without first going to court. They usually give notice to the unauthorized website before blocking procedures are implemented but can simply levy a penalty of up to €50 million, disqualify the operator from seeking a license for as many as 4 years, and close the channel of communications by issuing an order to the ISP (information society services).

When a blocking order is imposed it applies to all isps in the country.

The government does not provide the public with a blacklist of blocked websites. However, we were able to learn that on average, the government only blocks two or three websites per year. We were not able to determine which, if any, were online casinos. One reason for the low level of blocking may be that the administrative procedure is extremely thorough and includes a sanctions procedure.

Many spaniards circumvent DNS blocking because it is relatively easy to do.

Payment blocking

The regulator also has measures in place that require payment processors to block monetary exchanges with unlicensed websites.
Many international legal reviews note the ability of the government to block payments, however, according to the european commission's evaluation of regulatory tools to enforce online gambling rules (TENDER no 641/PP/GRO/IMA/17/1131/9610) the DGOJ had not used their authority as of 2017 when the final report was issued.

Payment service providers for unlicensed casinos in spain do seem to come and go and it is supposed that the government puts pressure on the PSP's local operations in order to get the intermediaries to stop offering services.

The law demands that payment processors actively work to interrupt money flow to and from unlicensed operations. Failing to comply with article 47 can be a serious legal infringement under article 40.E.

Advertising bans

In addition to the ability to issue advertising 'take-down' notices, the regulator has sanctioning powers against

advertisers and media owners and can levy criminal and administrative fines for breaches in the 'voluntary' (co-regulated) advertising policy.

The DGOJ's powers are broad and far-reaching with respect to advertising. The rules apply to banner advertising on the internet, keywords used on webpages, and social media advertising. However, the law does not give them the power to regulate affiliates, influencers, or brand ambassadors (other than as previously mentioned).

Best online casinos in spain

Spain is a country known for being quite relaxed, with residents even being recognised for taking siestas in the afternoons to escape the hot sun. This relaxed attitude is also relative to the country’s gambling laws as a whole. In fact, spanish citizens have quite the attraction to gambling, with some estimates claiming over €1.9 billion is pumped into the industry on an annual basis.

Best spanish online casinos

Gambling in spain

To put it bluntly, yes you can gamble online from within spain. All forms of online and offline gambling are actually legal within the country. And all forms are also regulated there. The power for this gambling regulation is given between the state and the different authorities of each of the country’s individual regions. However, generally speaking, the state legislation is what applies to the online gambling world, while land-based platforms fall under the regulations of the various regional authority groups.

This means that on a national level throughout spain, the regulatory body that overlooks the control of the spanish gambling scene is the general directorate for the regulation of gambling activities (dirección general de ordenación del juego).

This company is also responsible for providing gambling licences to operators within the country. Laws within spain that relate to and regulate the gambling industry have been in action since 2011. However, even prior to that time, spain had many citizens who were interested in and participating in gambling.

The 2011 spanish gambling act simply brought in regulations that also catered to the online gambling industry within the country. All online gambling operators that exist within spain need to acquire a licence from the proper authorities to be able to offer their services to the country’s gambling market.

Licensing in spain works in a couple of steps, with online operators needing to hold a general licence first of all, but then a secondary specific licence. The latter of these relates to the type of gambling game that the operator wishes to offer. There are various ones of these available, including ones for fixed-odds betting, roulette, slots, blackjack, poker and more.

Online casino games in spain

Online casinos allow you to play many variations of classic casino games including slots and all types of table games. Generally if you are a table games specialist you will find live dealer games are the way to go. Read our handy guides to find out more about specific games types:

Depositing euros at spanish online casinos

Spain makes up a part of the european union and therefore utilises the euro as its national currency. This came in and overtook the spanish peseta back in 1999. With this being the case, there are many online platforms that will cater to depositing and playing in euros.

Furthermore, the majority of online casinos that offer their services to the spanish market will also provide various payment methods for players to utilise. In terms of these payment methods, spanish players will have the opportunity to use options like:

• Credit and debit cards:visa, mastercard, maestro


• Ewallets:skrill, neteller


• Prepaid cards:entropay, paysafecard


• Alternative deposit methods: teleingreso


• Bank transfers:bank wire transfer, fast bank transfer

Land-based gambling in spain

Today, spain has a very liberal layout when it comes to the laws and regulations relating to gambling. This relates to both online and offline gambling activities within spain, so citizens are able to enjoy any form of gambling, as long as the company working as operator holds a valid licence.

Speaking of which, there are several land-based casinos in spain, which cater residents of the country as well as visitors. In fact, some of the biggest casinos in europe exist within spain, such as casino barcelona and casino gran via. The country plays host to over 40 brick-and-mortar establishments and, as mentioned earlier, the physical location of these depends upon the type of regulation that they fall under.

This is due to the fact that each regional authority has the power to accept the construction of and regulate all casinos within their districts. Spain actually has more land-based platforms than online casino offerings, meaning that spanish players actually have to visit offshore online casinos more often than not. While this is certainly frowned upon by the spanish government and could potentially be considered illegal, citizens are not punished for doing such.

Online casino and gambling laws in spain

Gambling itself has been officially legal in spain for over 30 years, although things changed in 2011 when the aforementioned spanish gambling act came into play. Prior to this, the 17 autonomous communities in spain, including the balearic islands, madrid and castile, oversaw all kinds of gambling in the country.

Therefore, it was each separate region that provided regulations and laws for each of the established casinos. However, with the introduction of the 2011 laws, online casinos in spain were also made legal. Operators are taxed a total of 25% of their gross revenue, while unlicensed sites within the country will be blocked by the spanish internet service providers.

However, there aren’t a huge number of casinos in the online world that base themselves within spain and hold a spanish gambling licence. Instead, people wishing to access casino games from the country find themselves joining and playing at foreign casino sites. This is by no means something that is specifically bad for them though, as plenty of casinos are now available to view in spanish language too.

Despite the fact that there are stringent regulations in place that relate to gambling operators in spain, anyone in the country accessing a licensed or unlicensed foreign-based platform will not really be punished on a high level. The government has difficulties keeping control over this kind of activity, so there are always possibilities for playing online casino games from within spain. Therefore, all forms of gambling are legal and fully regulated within the country.

Geography of spain

Spain exists as one of the most well-known countries in europe, having a long and storied history to its name. Located on the iberian peninsula for the most part, spain is bordered to its west by portugal, to the north-east by france and andorra and is also the owner of two large archipelagos – the canary islands and the balearic islands.

Spain online casinos

Top 10 spain online casinos 2020 & online gambling guide

Gambling in spain is legal in various forms both online and offline and is regulated by the government. Today in spain you can find land-based casinos, bingo halls, lotteries, slot machines and sports betting shops. Some of the most common forms of online gambling activities include online poker, online sports betting, online casinos (with slots and other online casino games), online bingo and online lottery.

Spanish citizens can play at hundreds of gambling sites, some of which are home-grown, but the vast majority are foreign gambling sites that are licensed abroad and operate from outside of spanish borders. All of this is overseen by the general directorate for gambling regulation, and the main legislation that legalized gambling in the country was the spanish gambling act. There are no laws that prevent spanish players from playing at foreign controlled gambling sites.

On this page you will find:

Top 10 best online casinos in 2020 for spain players

The top 10 best online casino sites for spain players to gamble at for real money. Rankings organized by reputation, customer support, bonus offer and quality of the gaming experience.

• Deposit bonus €200


• Year founded 2019


• Customer support 6/10


• Works on:

visit cashimashi casino

• Deposit bonus €500


• Year founded 1997


• Customer support 10/10


• Works on:

visit party casino

• Deposit bonus €200


• Year founded 2018


• Customer support 7/10


• Works on:

visit betzest casino

• Deposit bonus €200


• Year founded 2011


• Customer support 7/10


• Works on:

visit bet rebels

• Deposit bonus €250


• Year founded 2000


• Customer support 6/10


• Works on:

visit bonkersbet casino

• Deposit bonus €450


• Year founded 2014


• Customer support 7/10


• Works on:

visit campeon casino

• Deposit bonus €500


• Year founded 2018


• Customer support 6/10


• Works on:

visit zet casino

• Deposit bonus €200


• Year founded 2018


• Customer support 6/10


• Works on:

visit casiplay casino

• Deposit bonus €200


• Year founded 1999


• Customer support 9/10


• Works on:

visit betfair casino

Gambling history in spain

For a very long time, more than 100 years, the only real form of gambling in spain was the lottery. This all changed when in 1977, games of skill became legal, and this paved the way for even more gambling activities to start appearing in the country over the coming years. In 1981 the government also then made games of chance legal too. Ever since then spanish citizens have been able to play on their favourite casino games at a land-based casino, and in more recent times at online casinos.

In 2002, the spanish government began developing and fine-tuning it’s gambling regulatory framework and the major piece of legislation that encompasses gambling in the country, the spanish gambling act, was finally passed in 2011. Today there are hundreds of fully licensed gambling sites that spanish players can enjoy placing a wager at, but the majority of today’s best spanish online casinos (and other similar gambling sites) are foreign controlled, and their operations are based overseas.

Spain gambling & online gambling laws

Online gambling is officially regulated in the country by the general directorate for gambling regulation and the spanish gambling act led to a well-regulated industry. It basically regulates national gaming operations through electronic, interactive and technological means, and this includes gambling via numerous mediums of communication systems such as telephone landlines, mobile phones, television and the internet.

To gamble in the real money mode today in spain (either online at any of the hundreds of gambling sites that are currently available, or at licensed land-based gambling venues such as casinos and sports betting shops), you must be at least 18 years of age. Spanish players are not breaking the law when playing at foreign gambling sites, and there are currently plenty to choose from.

The only real downside to the gambling laws in spain is that unfortunately under spanish law, not all gambling winnings are tax exempt. If you win anything less than €2,500, then you won’t be taxed, but any winnings above this set amount are subject to a 20% tax rate. However, a law that was passed in 2012 does allow gamblers to discount their gambling losses from tax paid on any gambling winnings accrued in the same tax year.

Online casino benefits to players from spain

Today spanish players can access some of the very best online casinos in the world thanks to their developed regulatory system and clear laws that are currently in place. This means that you can also enjoy playing on some of the best online casino games in the world (and live dealer games) that have been developed by numerous industry-award-winning online casino software providers such as netent, playtech, microgaming and others (e.G. IGT interactive, WMS gaming, evolution gaming, red tiger gaming, rival gaming, quickspin, betsoft gaming and yggdrasil gaming).

One of the main benefits to players from spain who play at foreign gambling sites or home-grown ones is that they all accept euros. Therefore you can always play in a currency that you are familiar with, plus you can also deposit and withdraw using a wide range of popular spanish online payment options (e.G. Credit cards, debit cards and e-wallets).

You can claim a guaranteed new player welcome bonus when you sign up and deposit for the very first time, plus you can also benefit from some attractive perks, rewards and benefits thanks to the loyalty and VIP programs. That’s not all though. At today’s best spanish online casinos you can choose between playing on desktop or mobile and either instantly in your web browser or from within a secure download client, plus you get to play in a secure online environment which is protected by the latest and most advanced SSL encryption technology.

FAQ useful to players from spain

Can I gamble in the real money mode at foreign gambling sites?

Yes. You can gamble at hundreds of fully licensed foreign gambling sites, and the good news is that you’re not breaking the law.

Can foreign gambling sites that welcome spanish players be trusted?

Yes. The best spanish online casinos tend to be the ones that are licensed in the UK, in gibraltar and malta. Spanish players also have access to hundreds of other foreign gambling sites that are licensed in places such as kahnawake and curaçao.

Do I have to pay taxes on my gambling winnings?

Unfortunately yes, but only if your winnings are above €2,500. Any winnings above this set amount are subject to a 20% tax rate.

Can I play in euros and what kind of online payment options are accepted at foreign gambling sites?

Yes. Euros are accepted, and there are plenty of popular spanish online payment options to choose from that enable you to easily deposit & withdraw.

If I have, for example, a technical issue or just a general question about the casino, what’s the best way to get in touch with the casino?

Spanish online casinos today generally provide 24/7, professionally trained player support and the best way to get in touch with the casino is via live chat, email or telephone (the latter of which is quite often toll-free for spanish players).

Online gambling highlights in spain

• Spanish players currently have access to hundreds of the world’s best online gambling sites


• Enjoy playing on thousands of world-class online casino games from numerous industry-award-winning online casino software providers


• Live dealer games such as live roulette, live blackjack, live baccarat, live casino hold’em and live dream catcher also now widely available


• Claim a guaranteed new player welcome bonus when you sign up and the look forward to even more frequent bonuses (such as cashback bonuses, free spins bonuses and matching deposit bonuses) and prize-packed promotional offers


• Play regularly in the real money mode for some fantastic rewards, perks and benefits with the amazing loyalty programs


• Play on the games either instantly in our web browser, or occasionally, from within a secure download client


• Today’s best spanish gambling sites are available on desktop and mobile, and they are controlled by trustworthy operators with proven track records


• Gamble in your currency of euros and choose from plenty of popular spanish online payment options

Problem gambling help in spain

Spain seems to have more support for problem gamblers than almost any other country on our list. There are literally too many organizations to list individually here, and this includes internationally accredited and home-grown problem gambling websites and numerous land-based rehab centres dotted that are around the country, some of which are free and some of which can be quite costly.

There are toll-free telephone numbers that you can call 24 hours per day which can put in touch with professionally trained counsellors, plus you can also generally find live chat support and email support features at these websites, with useful links provided to you by the casino (or another similar online gambling site) that you have signed up to. These spanish problem gambling websites also tend to have online forums or online chatrooms where you can use the live text chat feature to talk about issues related to problem gambling, and you can also normally find useful articles, questionnaires, faq sections and more.

Top online casinos

Here are 4 best united kingdom online casinos
based on reputation, bonuses and games

Best online casinos in spain

Spain is a western european state where gambling is absolutely legal. Nowadays, there are 33 spanish cities where you can play in as many as 55 legal land based gambling venues. Specifically, in madrid, which is the capital of spain and the largest spanish gambling city, you can find 6 land based casinos with the total number of 88 tables games and 350 gaming machines where you can play slot games and video poker. The available forms of gambling in spain include greyhound tracks, land based casinos, and sports betting parlours. For more details about real money online and land based gambling in spain and all the important issues to bear in mind, go on reading our expert review.

Best spanish online casinos

Gambling in spain

Without any exaggerations, gambling is truly a national obsession in spain. According to the statistical data, the proportion of spanish income and the money they spend on betting is one of the highest in the world. There are also estimations that show that spanish gamblers spend on gambling over € 1.9 billion a year, which is approximately € 480 per person or 15% of the average net household income. Can you imagine that?

Wonder what gambling forms are the most common in spain? The thing is that the spanish take part in every single betting activity that they can only find. In such a way, spanish gamblers participate in football and racing pools, lotteries, bingo, horse racing (including illegal foreign horse racing and greyhound racing that are immensely popular in resort areas), slot machines, casinos, and the big jai-alai games that are quite widespread in the spanish capital city madrid as well as the basque country.

Evidently, one of the most popular forms of gambling in spain is the state national lottery, which is also known as lotería nacional. Usually, lotería nacional is run to support the catholic church as well as charities. You can either buy lottery tickets at face value at lottery offices or you can purchase lottery tickets from street vendors with added 10 % commission. Another option to get lottery tickets is to buy them through ONCE kiosks that are operated by the spanish organisation for the blind and impaired sighted people.

The most popular and biggest spanish lottery is known as el gordo, which means ‘the fat one’. El gordo is typically held at the period of christmas holidays. There are 108 series of 66,000 tickets, each ticket is €200, which is quite a lot for many spanish gamblers. For this reason, el gordo lottery tickets are divided into so called décimos, which are actually ten shares of a ticket. In such a way, you can buy a décimo for just a few euros.

Another extremely popular gambling activity in spain is evidently casino gambling. There are over 55 land based gambling venues scattered across the country. One of these casinos is even located in gibraltar. So, it’s really hard to find a gambling free destination in spain. Talking about the most popular games played in spanish land based gambling venues, it’s definitely worth mentioning slot machines, blackjack, american and french roulette, punto y banca and chemin de fer, and private gaming rooms.

Usually, it’s free to enter a spanish land based casino, however, make sure to take your ID in order to show that you have reached the gambling age (which is 18 in spain). Mind that if you are under 18, you are not allowed to enter spanish land based gambling venues. Mostly all casinos operate from late afternoon until the early morning, however we recommend to check the opening and closing hours specifically of the casino you intend to visit. It’s also important to mind the dress code, which is smart casual. It means that you can’t wear sandals, jeans, T-shirts and other casual stuff in spanish land based casinos.

Spanish gambling laws

Briefly speaking, gambling is legal in spain, however the law 13/2011 allows to play only in certified gambling venues. For instance, the only lotteries allowed in spain are the ones regulated by the state lottery and gambling company (sociedad estatal de loterías y apuestas del estado) and organización nacional de ciegos de españa (ONCE). As for traditional land based forms of gambling, such as casinos, bingo halls, and different kinds of betting shops, they are monitored by the directorate general for gambling regulation (DGOJ).

It’s also legal to play in licensed online casinos according to the law 13/2011. However, you should be aware that only the license issued in spain is considered valid. International gambling authorities are not recognized by the state. In case you want to play in the best overseas online casinos, make sure to check our professional reviews.

Land based casinos in spain

Casino atlántico

Casino atlántico was launched on january 1, 1987. Here you can enjoy 8 table games and 60 gaming machines. The most popular games suggested by atlántico include the following: sportsbook, blackjack, slot machines, video poker, ultimate texas hold'em, electronic roulette, american roulette, and three poker games, such as NL texas hold'em, omaha, and tournaments. The min bet you can place in casino atlántico is $0.01, which is quite affordable for anyone.

Amenities: self parking, poker comar, hotel NH la coruña atlantico, sala casino atlántico de fotografía, la terraza del casino, convention center, gastro sport bar

Restaurants: snack bar, abrego restaurant, breakfast buffet, café bar

• Website:N/A


• Address:1 avenida xardíns de méndez núñez, la coruna, spain


• Phone: +34 981 221 600


• Email: comercial.Atlantico@grupocomar.Com


• Open: from 9pm to 4am

Casino de santa cruz

Casino de santa cruz lets you enjoy 9 table games and 33 gaming machines. The most popular games you can play here include the following: blackjack, slot machines, american roulette, electronic bingo, NL texas hold'em, and tournaments. The min bet you can place in santa cruz is $0.5, which is quite decent. The total area of santa cruz is 81,806 sq/ft, so it’s quite spacious.

Amenities: self parking, casino de santa cruz poker room, iberostar grand hotel mencey, SPA sensations & sports, cooking lessons, iballa cocktail bar, meetings & events, casino bar, pools

Restaurants: casino restaurant, black rope restaurant, los menceyes restaurant, los laureles restaurant

• Website:N/A


• Address:105 rambla de santa cruz, santa cruz de tenerife, spain


• Phone: +34 922 290 740


• Email: info@castfe.Es


• Open: since 11:30 am to 3:00 am

Casino de la toja

Casino de la toja was launched on june 3, 1978, so it operates for over thirty years so far, which definitely provokes trust to this gambling venue. Here you can enjoy 17 table games, 3 poker tables, and 26 gaming machines. The most popular games suggested by de la toja include the following: blackjack, slot machines, 3 card poker, video poker, electronic roulette, american roulette, punto banco, french roulette, NL texas hold'em, and tournaments. The min bet you can place in de la toja is $0.1, which is quite small. The total gambling area is 15,372 sq/ft.

Amenities: self parking, casino de la toja poker room, eurostars gran hotel la toja, meeting rooms, spa & wellness center, cocktail bar

Restaurants: casino snack bar & restaurant, ensenada restaurant, los hornos restaurant

• Website:N/A


• Address:isla de la toja, O grove, pontevedra, spain


• Phone: +34 986 731 000


• Email: infocasinolatoja@cirsa.Com


• Open: since 2 pm to 5 am

Admiral casino san roque

Admiral casino san roque is quite a new land based gambling venue in spain as it was launched on july 27, 2016. Here you can choose out of 8 table games and 125 gaming machines. Basically, these are the most popular games that you can play at admiral casino san roque: blackjack, roulette, baccarat, slot machines, bingo, video poker, electronic roulette, punto banco, electronic bingo, and five card poker. The total square of admiral san roque is 41,979 sq/ft.

Amenities: self parking, valet, málaga hotels, admiral arena

Restaurants: admiral casino restaurant, bingo hall tapas bar

• Website:N/A


• Address:ctra. Nacional 340 cádiz - málaga km 124, málaga, spain


• Phone: +34 900 124 777


• Email: info@casinoasr.Com


• Open: since 12 pm to 5 am

Casino gran madrid torrelodones

Casino gran madrid torrelodones is the grandest and one of the oldest spanish casino that was launched on october 14, 1981. There you can play 38 table games, 200 gaming machines, and 25 poker tables. The most popular gaming options in gran madrid torrelodones include the following: blackjack, slot machines, video poker, caribbean stud poker, electronic tables, electronic keno, electronic roulette, american roulette, punto banco, and three poker games, such as NL texas hold'em, omaha, and tournaments. The total square of the grandest land based gambling venue in spain is 9,472 sq/ft.

Amenities: self parking, casino gran madrid torrelodones poker room, madrid hotels, bar L'étoile, bar las vegas, sports bar

Restaurants: restaurante L'étoile, bufé la cúpula, restaurante mandalay

• Website:N/A


• Address:29 vía de servicio A-6, madrid, spain


• Phone: +34 918 56 11 11


• Email: clientes@casinogranmadrid.Es


• Open: since 4 pm to 5 am

Casino gran madrid colon

Casino gran madrid colon is quite a new casino that was launched on january 9, 2014 right at the very heart of the spanish capital. Casino gran madrid colon is as big as 10,764 sq/ft. There you can play such games as blackjack, roulette, baccarat, slot machines, video poker, caribbean stud poker, ultimate texas hold'em, electronic keno, electronic roulette, electronic blackjack, and punto banco.

Amenities: self parking, madrid hotels, convention center

Restaurants: mandarin restaurant, bond bar, rhum & rhum

• Website:N/A


• Address:37-41 paseo de recoletos, madrid, spain


• Phone: +34 918 56 11 00


• Email: clientes@casinogranmadrid.Es


• Open: since 11:00 am to 6:00 am

Casino cirsa valencia

Casino cirsa valencia was launched on august 1, 2010. The total area of casino cirsa valencia is 43,055 sq/ft. There you can play 14 table games, 116 gaming machines, and 20 poker tables. The most popular gaming options available at casino cirsa valencia include the following: blackjack, roulette, slot machines, caribbean stud poker, electronic bingo, midi punto banco, texas hold'em, omaha, tournaments, and tournament freerolls. The min bet you can place in casino cirsa valencia is $0.01, which is quite affordable for anyone.

Amenities: self parking, valencia poker house, valencia hotels, casino royale, opera valencia, convention center, paradise bar

Restaurants: VLC restaurant, restauración 24h

• Website:N/A


• Address:59 avenida de las cortes valencianas, valencia, spain


• Phone: +34 902 101 505


• Email: infocasinovalencia@cirsa.Com


• Open: from 9:00 am to 5:00 am

Casino de ibiza

Casino de ibiza is quite a new spanish land based casino that was launched on january 1, 2014. There you can play 8 table games, 45 gaming machines, and 3 poker tables. The most popular gaming options in casino gran madrid torrelodones include the following: blackjack, roulette, slot machines, 3 card poker, video poker, ultimate texas hold'em, electronic roulette, electronic bingo, stud poker, and texas hold'em.

Amenities: valet, self parking, casino de ibiza poker room, ibiza hotels

• Website:N/A


• Address:59 passeig de joan carles I, ibiza, spain


• Phone: +34 971 806 806


• Email: info@casinoibiza.Com


• Open: from 5:00 pm to 7:00 am

Casino cirsa granada

Casino cirsa granada has the total square of 19,375 sq/ft. There you can enjoy playing 11 table games and 80 gaming machines. The most popular gaming options available at casino cirsa granada include the following: sportsbook, blackjack, slot machines, 3 card poker, electronic roulette, american roulette.

Amenities: self parking, cirsa poker granada, camino de granada

Restaurants: restaurant & bar

• Website:N/A


• Address:29 carretera de malaga, granada, spain


• Phone: +34 93 739 67 00


• Email: N/A


• Open: 24/7

Casino gran via

Casino gran via is a relatively new land based spanish casino that was launched on december 18, 2013 in madrid. The gambling are is as big as 48,438 sq/ft. The most popular gaming options suggested by casino gran via include the following: blackjack, baccarat, slot machines, video poker, electronic keno, electronic roulette, american roulette, punto banco, french roulette, NL texas hold'em, and pot limit omaha.

Amenities: self parking, casino gran via poker room, madrid hotels, convention center

Restaurants: restaurante círculo mercantil, bulle champagne bar, the GV corner, GV24 artist's bar

• Website:N/A


• Address:24 calle gran vía, madrid, spain


• Phone: +34 915 21 30 00


• Email: info@casinogranvia.Es


• Open: from 10:00 am to 6:00 am

Banking options for spanish gamblers

The best banking options for gamblers from spain and spanish speaking countries are the following: visa credit and debit cards, mastercard credit and debit cards, paypal, skrill. Other worthy payment system include american express, neosurf, neteller, paysafecard, poli, neteller, and, certainly, bitcoin. You might also want to consider making deposits with COP that is accepted in a lot spain online casinos. Evidently, the best currency for gambling transactions in spain casinos is euros, but you can also use US dollars. Another option is to use argentine pesos, which is the currency that is often suggested to spanish speaking players.

Is there any dress code in spanish land based casinos?

Yes, in most casinos, you are required to be dressed in smart casual. So, you can’t wear sandals, jeans, T-shirts and other casual stuff in land based casinos of spain.

What is the best offline casino in spain?

Casino gran madrid torrelodones is the best, grandest, and one of the oldest casinos in spain that dates back to october 14, 1981. There you can play 25 poker tables, 200 gaming machines, and 38 table games such as blackjack, slot machines, video poker, caribbean stud poker, electronic tables, electronic keno, electronic roulette, american roulette, punto banco, and three poker games, such as NL texas hold'em, omaha, and tournaments.

Spain casinos

While sharing the iberian peninsula with the portuguese republic, the kingdom of spain is distinctively well-known for its 17 sovereign regions which each feature sundry cultures and lands, as well as its two sovereign cities; melilla and ceuta.

Other reasons tens of thousands of tourists visit the country each year include the sagrada família church, the royal palace, the capital of madrid, the numerous antoni gaudí’s landmarks, the culinary community of basque country (euskadi), the gothic quarter, museo nacional centro de arte reina sofía, and a roman aqueduct that is still operational today.

When it comes to casinos and resorts, however, the spanish gambling industry is more than worthwhile, attracting people from all over the world.

List of casinos in spain

Below is a list of all casinos currently operating in the regions of spain.

History of casinos in spain

Actually, the first appearance of gambling within the length and breadth of spain is unknown. However, gambling must have existed in the country for centuries considering the iberian peninsula inhabitants arrived tens of thousands of years ago. Also, spain (alongside portugal) was the global superpower during the 16th century and colonized more than 20 countries during its reign. With such significance, one could deduce gambling to have existed during those periods.

For what is known, the oldest spanish casino started off as a club in 1838 and was patronized by wealthy individuals. Today, the club is known as casino de madrid and is one of the most visited casinos throughout spain.

Similarly, lotteries have existed in the country since the 19th century. As with other european authorities, the state government controlled the lotteries with strict legislation and mainly monopolized them to generate funds for diverse reasons. Most reasons were charity-related while the state government also upped its finances with the help of lotteries.

The first national lottery, sorteo extraordinario de navidad (the extraordinary christmas lottery), was established by the spanish public administration in 1821. The lottery is widely called el gordo (the big one), which is the name given to its jackpot winner.

Right from the start, the native spaniards across the regions were known to gamble more than usual. Most used a greater percentage of their income to buy lottery tickets at the time. However, games of skill were later legalized in 1977 following a published document by gobierno de españa (the government of spain). In 1981, games of chance were legalized as well.

Prior to 1977, games of skill and chance were strictly criminalized and punishable under the law. As soon as games of skill and chance were decriminalized, gambling grew exponentially in a short of time. At the time, the most popular form of gambling in spain today, sports betting, grew in nationwide popularity. However, the decriminalization document did not give a proper regulation policy so gambling in spain was in disorder and gambling operators operated with little to no restrictions.

In 2008, there was the financial crisis of 2007-2008 throughout the world. The crisis affected spain and so the authorities needed to bounce back; gambling seemed like a way to generate more revenues. So, the creation of a legislation for regulated gambling became a debate at all levels of government.

Fast forward to may 28, 2011, gobierno de españa, as published in boletín oficial del estado (the official state gazette), declared an appropriate legislation of gambling. The legislation, titled ley 13/2011, de 27 de mayo, de regulación del juego law 13/2011, of may 27, regulating the game, popularly called the spanish gaming act) – came into force on may 29, 2011.

The act further rebranded the national gaming commission (which was established in the 1980s) as dirección general de ordenación del juego (directorate general for the regulation of gambling, shortened as DGOJ) under el ministerio de hacienda y administraciones públicas (the ministry of finance and administrative functions) and assigned secretaria de estado de hacienda (the state secretary of the treasury) responsible for its operations.

The directorate oversees all activities and facilities of gambling at the state level. The regulatory body issues licenses regulate games and are also the jurisdiction pertaining decisions on gambling affairs and the force pertaining enforcement of gambling laws. Nevertheless, each region has the right to set up bodies to replace the duties of the directorate in that particular region. Regional regulatory bodies are mainly under the departments of interior or finance of the regions. Generally, both directorate and regional regulatory bodies are vested with the power to set a limit or restriction. Yet, there are no limits or restrictions throughout the whole regions of the country.

Furthermore, the act was initially aimed at combating fraud and illegal gambling, fortifying public order, preventing gambling addiction and other gambling problems, securing the three classifications of individuals who are not allowed in spanish casinos (underage individuals, individuals who intentionally limited their access, and individuals disabled according to the law or declared by a court), and preventing the rights of players.

Later, the aim of the act shifted to regulating online gambling, though its initial objectives were still included. This form of gambling exceeds the authority of regional regulatory bodies. So, online gambling operations in any region are subjected to the directorate but with an exception: regional regulatory can issue the license for gambling operators whether land-based or online as long as the operator operates within the region.

This means online gambling operators licensed by the directorate can offer their services in all regions of spain while those licensed by a regional regulatory body can only offer their services within that region – and the same policy applies for land-based operators.

In addition to online gambling regulations, general regulations needed a hand as the previous regulation policy was ineffective and outdated for players, operators, and even regulatory bodies. For one, cross-border gambling was unavailingly regulated as unlicensed and unregulated operators offered their services to spanish players without any prohibition or prosecution; this was possible because the 1977 decriminalization law did not regard offshore gambling operators though operators within the country were lightly prohibited.

The act made it mandatory for isps (internet service providers) to block gambling websites that are not licensed in spain. In fact, the directorate once ordered more than ten unlicensed websites to stop offering their services to spanish residents, else a €50 million fine per website.

Prior to the act, ley 56/2007, de 28 de diciembre, de medidas de impulso de la sociedad de la información (law 56/2007, of december 28, on measures to promote the information society) laid the foundation for appropriate gambling regulations in spain. The law was enacted by the cortes generales (the senate and the congress of deputies) in 2007 and pressured gobierno de españa to review and revise the regulations of online gambling by setting certain postulates to help the creation of an adequate gambling act.

The postulates were targeted to come into effect in 2008 but that happened in late-2010 as a special board to outline the rules on how a legitimately controlled interactive gambling segment ought to work was established.

The effect was greatly enforced by the loterías y apuestas del estado or LAE (lotteries and bets of the state), which was not governed by any regulatory body at the time. Nonetheless, the very first step to regulate online gambling was reportedly taken by gobierno de españa in 2002.

Seeing LAE’s interest in a new and improved act, the very first draft of the gambling act was introduced in 2010. It was not until february 2011 when the sixth draft transformed into the gaming bill and was published in the official congress of deputies gazette. Two months later, the congress of deputies authorized it and passed it to the senate. The senate added a number of revisions the succeeding month and enacted it later that month.

Gobierno de españa introduced a new law some months after the act was enacted. This law was believed to come into effect in the Q1 of 2012 but could not until 2014.

According to the 2010 act, a gambling activity has three characteristics: chance, wagering, and prize in form of cash or any other redeemable prize. Interestingly, land-based and online gambling are singly defined in the act.

Pertaining lotteries, the LAE and organización nacional de ciegos españoles or ONCE (national organisation of spanish blind people) are the two state monopolies permitted to organize lottery games and both are charity entities. Today, the LAE operates the extraordinary christmas lottery, which is the second longest running lottery and the biggest lottery on the planet.

In addition to lotteries, the legal forms of gambling in spain are casino games (poker, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and complimentary games), slot and other gaming machines, bingo, sports betting (fixed-odds and pools), horse racing (fixed-odds and pools), pari-mutuel or exchange betting, and another fixed-odds betting. However, regions define their own legal forms of gambling so they generally add more to the aforementioned forms.

Current gambling climate

Casino gambling and all other major forms of gambling are impeccably legal in spain. They are properly licensed, regulated, monitored, audited, and generally governed by the state and regional regulatory bodies. All major forms of gambling are very popular in spain but nothing can compare with sports betting.

Further, spanish casinos are premium, attractive, tourist-friendly, and energetic in general. There is 60 spread throughout the 17 regions and two cities. There is a large variety of games and all casinos are nothing identical to each other, so diversity is guaranteed.

The kingdom of spain is an authoritative country with many attractive attractions. As a result, tourism is only behind two sectors as the most crucial economic contributor in spain. As tens of millions of visitors from other authoritative european countries and other countries around the world tour the country per year, spain is only behind france and the united states as the most visited country in the whole world according to a 2016 report by UNWTO.

Accordingly, millions of players visit spain for a refreshing gambling experience and that is exactly what spain has to offer. Casinos are numerous and are some of the best in europe and the world. The official currency is euro while spanish alongside regional languages basque, catalan, occitan, and galician are the official languages.

Casinos in spain by area

The 60 casinos in spain are spread throughout over 35 cities. While most cities feature a single casino, alicante, barcelona, madrid, murcia, málaga, santa cruz de tenerife, valencia, las palmas, girona, granada, logrono, palma, puerto banus, salamanca, seville, and zaragoza feature more than a casino each. The true gambling cities of spain are murcia, madrid, and barcelona as they individually have the best casinos in spain.

The largest casino in the country is gran casino de barcelona, which offers 219 gaming machines and 53 table games. Barcelona’s rival in everything, madrid, comes in second with casino gran madrid torrelodones. The casino offers about 200 gaming machines, 34 table games, and 25 tables for poker games in its over-9,000 square feet gaming space.

Types of casinos in spain

There are more than just casinos in spain. Although casinos are the most preferred establishments to enjoy casino games, there are gambling rooms in spain, which are similar to (but smaller than) casinos. Their maximum wagering amount is €2 while the maximum prize is €500. Casino-like cruise ships are also available in this part of the iberian peninsula.

There are various casino games available; the most popular games are american roulette, french roulette, blackjack, boule, baccarat, trente et quarante, punto y banca, craps, video poker, chemin de fer, poker sin descarte (or synthetic poker, a spanish poker game similar to omaha poker), I-table ultimate texas hold’em, electronic roulette, slot machines, I-roulette, I-table blackjack, semielectronic roulette, texas hold’em poker, and wheel of fortune.

Poker is popular in spain as the country has hosted a number of international poker tournaments: the world cup of poker (WCP), the world heads-up poker championship (WHUPC), and the european poker tour (EPT). (ironically, the three are no more in existence but the EPT has been announced to come back in march 2018 sponsored by pokerstars.) similarly, bingo is as popular as poker and most casinos offer it.

Slot machines, as an activity, is the most popular form of casino gambling in spain. There are more than 250,000 popular and unpopular diverse slot machines across the country. About casinos, they are usually luxe and situated near a tourist-friendly hotel or resort (though a handful actually includes a hotel or resort).

Horse and greyhound racing are also popular in spain. There are seven racetracks where both fixed-odds and pari-mutuel betting takes place. Bets are also conducted in the many sportsbooks within the country and are available online. Sports betting in spain is mainly on football (which is a nationwide craze), jai alai (native to the basque country, located across spain, france, and the bay of biscay), basketball, formula one, golf, cycling, tennis, and skiing.

The lottery is huge in spain with just two operators. The ONCE and LAE operate a number of lottery games namely rasca y gana (scratch cards), lotto, etc. ONCE provides daily draws while LAE draws hold once a year. As millions of tickets are sold each year, there are numerous offices, commissioned street vendors, and kiosks operated by individuals who are visually impaired within the country in which lottery games are provided.

Lastly, online gambling is adequately regulated and licensed in spain. Tons of big online gambling operators (such as 888casino, pokerstars, william hill, and bet365) are licensed to offer their services to spanish residents and the residents themselves love to gamble online. From sports betting, lotteries, and casino games to bingo, horse racing betting, and slots, all forms of legal gambling are available on over 150 gambling websites.

Facts about casinos in spain

– according to article 7 of law 10/2010 (the spanish anti-money laundering act, approved by royal decree 304/2014, of 5th may), land-based casinos are required to verify the identity, residence, and age of players before entering the facility. (the minimum gambling age in spain is 18 years.) in addition, casino employees must perpetually verify the identity of any player who a) buys chips worth £2,000 or more at once or in total b) request a check of his winning, requests to transfer funds, or requests a certificate of his winning. The dress code varies evidently per casino.

– in fact, the spanish anti-money laundering act made online slots and pair-mutuel (or exchange) betting legal. The act also discussed copyrights in gambling and thereby preventing the personal data of spanish players.

– there is a restriction on regional online gambling that makes only tax residents of the region eligible to gamble on gambling websites licensed in the region.

– to operate a casino in spain, aspiring operators must obtain a license for each game as there is no casino license. (for instance, with just poker license, the casino cannot offer other casino games.)

– general licenses are valid for a decade and can be renewed for the same timeframe. The validity period of single licenses is one to five years and similar for renewals. For an application, there are four fees: £10,000 per license, £2,500 per gaming registry entry of a license, £38,000 one-time fee for a certification regardless of the number of licenses applied for, and 0.075 percent annual fee based on the prior year’s revenues.

– complementary or social games are quite popular in spain. The maximum wagering amount is £1 while the maximum prize is £40.

– land-based gambling activities are taxed according to regional tax collectors. Tax rates generally range from 10 to 45 percent and are based on the tax base (turnover or gross income) and GGR (gross gaming revenue). Tax rates of online gambling activities range from seven to 25 percent (mostly the latter) and are also based on the tax base and GGR.

– the website of aecj asociación española de casinos de juego (the spanish association of casinos and gambling) presently lists 30+ casinos while the actual figure is nothing less than 60.

– in regards to advertising, regions define their respective policies. Meanwhile, advertising without permission is a criminal offence punishable under the law for land-based operators. Fines could be anything from £100,00 to £1 million and the authorities could temporarily ban such operator for at least six months. The same fine and ban policy go for online operators. However, online operators that are licensed by the directorate or a regional regulatory body are permitted to advertise, market or conduct any sponsorship activity. Also, internet service providers (isps), advertising agencies, gambling operators, and media institutions have registered with an autonomous code of conduct established by the directorate so as to uniformly create a framework for regulated advertisements of online gambling services.

– since 2012, spanish players have been spending about €1.9 billion on gambling per year. This is equal to 15 percent of the income per household or almost €500 per person…and these figures grow year in, year out. Currently, an estimated figure of 30 percent of spanish residents gambles frequently. Respectively from 2014 to 2016, the spanish gambling industry generated revenues of €327 million, €368 million, and €409 million.

– the extraordinary christmas lottery sells nothing less than €1.7 billion worth of tickets annually and about 70 percent is reportedly given back as cash prizes while the remaining 30 percent is used for charities and to fund the catholic church. The draw holds annually on exactly december 22.

– el niño’s popularity and magnitude are only second to sorteo extraordinario de navidad’s. The lottery literally means the body, with reference to jesus christ as a kid. El niño annual draw takes place on january 5 of every year and is also provided by the LAE.

– although of danish descent, a spanish nicknamed el matador is the only player to have ever won-at the world poker tour and the world series of poker-the world championship and the only hispanic player to have ever won the world series of poker main event. His real name is juan carlos mortensen.

– in 2017, the extraordinary christmas lottery sold 165 million billetes (tickets) worth €3.3 billion and €2.3 billion were distributed as cash prizes. El gordo was as huge as €720 million.

– illegal gambling is a serious issue in spain as it is believed that illegal gambling generates as much as legal gambling.

– currently, there is a loophole in the gambling laws which makes it possible for spanish players to gamble on unlicensed gambling websites without any penalty.

– the number of spanish casinos was 42 in 2013, 43 in 2014, 43 in 2015, 45 in 2016, and is currently 60 as of march 2018.

– ironically, el gordo once landed in a small town called sort, catalan word for ‘luck’.

– in addition to the aforementioned games, cockfighting, dominoes, bullfighting, and card games are some of the most loved games in spain. Particularly, bullfighting is a tradition in spain, especially madrid; the region features the largest bullfighting industry on the planet and the events are visited by thousands of people per year. Gambling on bullfighting is not permitted by law but small gambling facilities and illegal outlets usually offer fixed-odds betting on bullfighting events.

– spanish gambling websites are required to use the .Es domain name extension.

– out of 60 casinos, grupo pro operates about 10 while cirsa and grupo orenes individually operate about five.

– american casino company las vegas sand corporation is expected to open a 12-complexes casino in spain in 2022 with inspirations from las vegas. Similarly, the BCN world in tarragona, catalonia will soon be transformed into an entertainment center (casino, golf, and hotel); the project was announced in 2012 but kick-started in 2017.

– in july 2013, spain hosted the world gaming summit.

– spanish poker players are only allowed to participate in regional, national, and international poker tournaments as they are not allowed to participate in offshore poker tournaments; this is the case in italy and france as well.

– pertaining bitcoin gambling, the authorities (primarily el ministerio de hacienda y administraciones públicas), while responding to coinffeine, a spain-based P2P bitcoin exchange platform, in 2014, classified bitcoin gambling as online gambling so licenses are required prior offering their services. This was a surprise because most countries in and outside europe either criminalize or are completely ignorant when it comes to cryptocurrencies. More interestingly, spanish tax authorities recently announced their interest in collecting taxes on any kind of cryptocurrency mining within spain.

Online casinos spain

The first bricks-and-mortar casinos were legalized in spain in 1977, and the country has always had a relaxed stance on gambling. However, the path to regulated gaming has been a long and steady one, and it was only in 2012 that the government finally introduced legislation to cover the industry.

Online slots were one notable exception to the law, and they actually remained illegal in spain until new legislation was passed in 2014 to allow operators to apply for slot licences. That law came into effect on 2nd june 2015, and ten new operators were granted licences, along with 20 existing operators who had applied for the additional right to offer slots, including the likes of william hill, and software supplier playtech.

Previously, spanish players had played slots at foreign-based casinos and the government had done little to try and prevent this. But now the new legislation is in place, slots players must play at licensed spanish online casinos. This is great news for players, as it means they can now play in a fully legal and fully regulated environment. Some of the best online casinos in spain are listed below:

Best spanish casino sites in 2020

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A steady path to liberalisation

Despite a generally liberal attitude to gambling, the online scene has taken a long time to reach this point in spain, and there are still some restrictions on internet poker.

Although land-based casinos had been legalized since 1977, it wasn’t until much later that the industry really boomed. In 2008 the government split the country into 17 separate regions which were allowed to grant their own gaming licenses as they saw fit. This led to rapid growth and the country now houses over 40 casinos.

Online sports betting had already been made legal by the government in 2006, but it wasn’t until 2010 that the 17 gaming authorities met with the national gaming board to begin discussions on the regulation of online gambling. A new law was passed in may 2011, which allowed the development of all online gaming with the exception of games exclusive to the national lottery and blind national lottery, bingo, and live in-play betting (including slot machines). Individual licences must be obtained for every game type that operators wish to offer, and licences are only granted to companies that house their servers in spain and operate from .Es websites.

The gambling act also covered advertising, promotion and sponsorship, making it illegal to advertise, endorse or promote betting activities and websites of operators who do not hold the appropriate licenses. The act also enables spanish authorities to impose large fines on operators that try to provide services to spanish players. Unlike countries such as france and portugal who tried to pass similar legislation, spain has been relatively successful with more than 50 sites withdrawing their services voluntarily, and legal proceedings pursued against operators who attempted to continue.

Tough hand for poker players

Poker is one area where legislation is behind the rest of the sector. Poker games are currently ring-fenced in the country in much the same way as france and italy. Essentially, this means that poker players can only play against other players in spain, and can’t take part in larger, international tournaments.

This policy has stifled the growth of the poker industry in spain, and a recent report showed that close to half of all poker players still play on ‘illegal’ sites. 43% of players admitted to playing at unlicensed sites, while 12.8% said that they never used spanish websites to play poker.

The latest figures show that revenue from the internet poker market in the first quarter of 2015 fell by 5% to €16.8m. That’s in comparison to the total online market which grew by 14% to €77.4m, with the best performing sectors, sports betting which grew by 20% to €45.5m, and table gaming revenue which grew by 38% to €12.2m.

While the government continues to ring-fence games and charge high tax rates on rakes, players will continue to take their chips elsewhere.

Slots finally launched

There is no such restriction on the slots market, and with so many big international operators ready to step into the arena, spanish players will be spoilt for choice. Slots have been the major area of growth in the gaming sector across the majority of europe. The spanish government is hoping that this change will boost the industry in the same way that it did for the italian market - the latest figures revealed that slots accounted for 20% of italian gaming revenue in 2014.

That’s of little importance to the average slots player though, and most will surely just be looking forward to more freedom of choice and a competitive marketplace. The large operators already offering services in the country will quickly add slots, and the 10 new licensees will be ready to go within months. There is likely to be a great deal of competition as operators vie for new customers, and it is an environment which players can take advantage of in terms of sign-up bonuses, welcome promotions and free bets.

The world of spanish online casinos just got a whole lot more exciting!

So, let's see, what we have: spain, a member of the european union which uses the euro currency, now has legal online casinos under the spanish gambling act. At online casino spain