Gambling Laws in Spain: Legality, Regulators and What Chinese Citizens Should Know

Is gambling legal in Spain? In short, yes, as long as the operator holds a Spanish licence. Land-based casinos, lotteries, sports betting and online casinos all exist legally in Spain, and nobody under 18 may take part. This is the opposite of mainland China, where almost everything apart from the welfare and sports lotteries is banned. Spain follows a “licence and supervise” model: the national Gambling Act (Ley 13/2011) covers online and nationwide gambling, while each of the 17 autonomous communities writes its own rules for land-based casinos, arcades and gaming halls.

If you have just moved from China, remember three things. First, online gambling in Spain is legal only on platforms licensed by Spain and using a .es domain; foreign licences are not valid in Spain. Second, prizes must be dealt with under Spanish tax law, and certain lottery prizes above EUR 40,000 have 20% withheld on the excess. Third, Chinese criminal law contains a specific offence for organising PRC citizens to gamble abroad, so living overseas does not put you beyond the reach of Chinese law. This page covers law and regulation only and does not recommend any operator.

Spanish gambling law: the state regulates online, the regions regulate land-based

Spanish gambling law has two layers. At national level, the Gambling Act of 27 May 2011 (Ley 13/2011, de 27 de mayo, de regulación del juego) mainly governs gambling offered remotely through electronic and online channels with nationwide reach, including lotteries, betting, raffles, contests and casino games. It expressly excludes purely recreational games with no economic gain, and gambling offered only within a single autonomous community.

Land-based gambling (casinos, gaming halls, prize machines in bars) is regulated by the autonomous communities, so there are 17 sets of regional rules. In Madrid, for example, the Madrid Gambling Act (Ley 6/2001) bars minors and legally incapacitated persons from all gambling and requires casinos and betting venues to run admission control and electronic registration of visitors. Details differ between regions, but the principles of “licensed operation only” and “no minors” apply everywhere.

Lotteries are a special case: according to the regulator, only the state-owned SELAE (Sociedad Estatal de Loterías y Apuestas del Estado) and ONCE (the Spanish National Organisation of the Blind) may run lotteries. For the bigger picture of life in Spain, see our Spain relocation guide.

Regulator and licensing system

Online gambling is supervised by the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego, DGOJ), part of the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda. The DGOJ grants licences, inspects and sanctions operators, and pursues illegal gambling. The National Gambling Commission originally designed in the Gambling Act has seen its functions taken over by the DGOJ.

There are two levels of licence. An operator first needs a general licence (licencia general) for each type of gambling, awarded through a competitive procedure, valid for 10 years and renewable for the same period. Each specific game also needs a singular licence (licencia singular), valid for 1 to 5 years. The DGOJ publishes the list of licensed operators and the URLs of their licensed websites.

Who may play: age, residents and tourists, the exclusion register

Article 6 of the Gambling Act bars the following from gambling: minors (the age of majority in Spain is 18); legally incapacitated persons; people who have asked to be excluded or are banned by a final court ruling; owners, significant shareholders, senior managers and directly involved staff of operators, plus their spouses and first-degree relatives; and athletes, referees and others connected to the event concerned.

The law does not distinguish between residents and tourists. Chinese passport holders visiting a land-based casino are subject to the same identity check and registration, so bring your passport. We found no national entry levy for tourists and no casino restriction aimed specifically at Spanish residents.

Anyone who wants to stop gambling can ask to be entered in the General Register of Gambling Access Bans (RGIAJ). Registration is valid nationwide, has no end date, and can be cancelled only after at least six months. Note that licensed online operators are blocked automatically only if you register with a Spanish ID (DNI) or foreigner identity number (NIE).

1. Download the formGet the RGIAJ application form from the DGOJ website
2. Fill in your IDUse your DNI or NIE so licensed online operators are notified automatically
3. SubmitThe register can be contacted at dgoj.interdicciones@ordenacionjuego.gob.es or on 914 250 811
4. Wait for confirmationThe DGOJ aims to confirm the outcome within 15 days of receiving the application
5. Effect and cancellationRegistration has no end date; cancellation can be requested after at least six months

Online casinos: where legal ends and illegal begins

According to the DGOJ, nationwide online gambling in Spain requires a Spanish licence, and licences issued in other countries are not valid in Spain. To identify a legal platform, check who the operator is, compare it with the DGOJ list of licensed operators, check that it uses a .es domain, and look for the “juego seguro” logo. For more detail, see our article on online casino rules in Spain.

The official explanation is on the DGOJ illegal gambling page, and illegal gambling can be reported through the regulator’s complaints procedure. For entry rules and regional differences in land-based venues, see casino rules in Spain.

Market size: online casino revenue overtakes sports betting

According to media reports of the DGOJ’s 2025 annual report, gross gaming revenue (GGR, stakes minus winnings paid out) from state-level online gambling in Spain was about EUR 1.7 billion, up around 17% year on year. Average monthly active accounts were about 1.73 million, and marketing spend reached EUR 664.4 million.

Gambling tax in Spain: are winnings taxed?

Spain applies a special levy (gravamen especial) to big lottery prizes. For prizes from the State lottery, regional lotteries, ONCE and the Spanish Red Cross in draws held from 1 January 2020, the first EUR 40,000 is exempt and 20% is withheld on the excess. This is withheld by the payer, and these prizes are not declared again in the personal income tax return. The same rule applies to non-residents. As of October 2026.

Other gambling winnings (for example from a casino or a licensed online platform) count as capital gains for personal income tax (IRPF) and must be declared. The Tax Agency’s guidance also says gambling losses can be reported under certain conditions, but losses on the State lottery, ONCE and Red Cross lotteries never count. Once you are a Spanish tax resident, your worldwide income is declared in Spain, so for larger amounts consult a tax adviser.

Advertising rules

Article 7 of the Gambling Act prohibits any advertising, sponsorship or promotion of gambling by operators without a licence. Advertising agencies, media and online platforms must check that the advertiser holds a valid licence before running an ad. The DGOJ can order a campaign to stop, and the recipient must confirm compliance within three calendar days.

Royal Decree 958/2020 added further restrictions on gambling advertising. According to a law firm’s analysis, the Supreme Court annulled several of its articles (covering welcome promotions for new customers, appearances by public figures and social-media advertising, among others) in Judgment 527/2024 of 2 April 2024, on the grounds that restrictions on freedom of enterprise must be set by law rather than by regulation.

A note on Chinese law: gambling abroad is not a legal vacuum

As a neutral reminder: Article 303 of the PRC Criminal Law sets out the offences of gambling and of operating a gambling venue. Amendment XI to the Criminal Law, adopted on 26 December 2020 and in force since 1 March 2021, added a third paragraph, the offence of organising participation in gambling abroad: organising PRC citizens to gamble outside the country (or territory), where the amounts are huge or other circumstances are serious, is punished as operating a gambling venue, with up to five to ten years’ imprisonment plus a fine.

Responsible gambling: where to get help

If you or a family member has a gambling problem, contact the Spanish Federation of Rehabilitated Gamblers (FEJAR) on the free line 900 200 225. The SELAE customer service line, 900 11 23 13, can also point you to local help centres. The DGOJ website lists associations, public hospitals and other help services in each autonomous community; see the SELAE help centres page.

To compare the rules in nearby countries, see our pages on gambling laws in Portugal, Italy and France.

FAQ

Is gambling legal in Spain?

Yes, but only with licensed operators. The DGOJ licenses online gambling, the autonomous communities license casinos and gaming halls, and lotteries are reserved for SELAE and ONCE.

Can Chinese tourists enter casinos in Spain?

Yes, from age 18, but you must show valid ID and be registered at the entrance. People on the exclusion register may not enter.

Is it legal to use a foreign-licensed website in Spain?

No. The DGOJ states that foreign licences are not valid in Spain, and nationwide online gambling may only be offered on Spanish-licensed .es websites.

How much tax do I pay on a lottery win in Spain?

For State lottery, ONCE and similar prizes, the first EUR 40,000 is exempt and 20% is withheld on the excess (as of October 2026). Other gambling winnings are declared in your personal income tax return.

Sources

1. BOE – Ley 13/2011 of 27 May on the regulation of gambling (consolidated text) (accessed October 2026)
2. BOE – Ley 13/2011 consolidated PDF (last updated 31 December 2022) (accessed October 2026)
3. DGOJ (Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling) – Illegal gambling (accessed October 2026)
4. DGOJ – Authorised / safe gambling (accessed October 2026)
5. DGOJ – RGIAJ (General Register of Gambling Access Bans) application form and notes (accessed October 2026)
6. DGOJ – Annual data on the state-level online gambling market (2025 report) (accessed October 2026)
7. Focus Gaming News – Spanish online gambling 2025 (citing DGOJ; media source) (accessed October 2026)
8. BOE – Ley 6/2001 on Gambling in the Community of Madrid (accessed October 2026)
9. Spanish Tax Agency (AEAT) – Special levy on certain lottery and betting prizes (non-residents) (accessed October 2026)
10. Spanish Tax Agency (AEAT) – Personal income tax return: prizes from games and draws (accessed October 2026)
11. SELAE (State Lotteries) – Responsible gambling help centres (accessed October 2026)
12. Cuatrecasas (law firm) – Supreme Court annuls several articles of Royal Decree 958/2020 (law-firm source) (accessed October 2026)
13. Ceutí City Council – National report on gambling protection policies: Spain 2025 (accessed October 2026)
14. Amendment XI to the PRC Criminal Law, full text (Chinese, hosted by a Guangdong government site) (accessed October 2026)