Spain Moves to Redesign Gambling Controls

Spain Moves to Redesign Gambling Controls

A new phase of gambling reform is taking shape in Spain, driven by concerns that the current framework does not sufficiently address structural risk. At the centre of the initiative is Andrés Barragán, Secretary General for Consumer Affairs and Gambling, who has outlined a plan to centralise oversight, tighten advertising standards, and introduce cross-operator betting limits.

Barragán presented the government’s direction during the annual conference of FEJAR, an association of rehabilitated gamblers. His remarks focused less on isolated rule changes and more on the system's architecture. In his assessment, Spain’s responsible gambling tools operate in a fragmented manner, divided among agencies and individual operators. That fragmentation, he argued, weakens the overall effectiveness of safeguards.

The proposed response is institutional consolidation. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs intends to assume full responsibility for oversight and public engagement related to gambling harms. This would reposition the ministry as the central coordinating authority rather than one actor among several. The objective is to create a unified structure in which prevention, monitoring and enforcement function within the same framework.

A core element of the reform involves cross-operator betting limits. Under the existing model, players may reach spending thresholds with one licensed platform yet continue gambling elsewhere. The government aims to eliminate that possibility by establishing limits that apply across all operators simultaneously. In practical terms, this would require shared data systems capable of tracking cumulative activity, ensuring that restrictions follow the individual rather than remaining tied to a single account.

Barragán has framed this change as essential if limits are to be meaningful. If safeguards can be bypassed by shifting between operators, their impact becomes limited. A system-wide cap would alter that dynamic, making compliance collective rather than isolated.

Advertising practices are also under scrutiny. Spain has already imposed significant restrictions on gambling promotion in recent years, yet the ministry now signals further adjustments. Future campaigns should more clearly reflect the industry's economic structure, including how revenue is distributed among users. Barragán has suggested that a relatively small group of high-spending customers accounts for a large proportion of overall losses. If that concentration is confirmed by regulatory analysis, it raises policy questions about how advertising and product design interact with vulnerable profiles.

The planned revisions would move away from narratives that emphasise individual responsibility alone. According to Barragán, operators shape digital environments, determine segmentation strategies, and influence behavioural patterns through platform design. Regulation, he has argued, must account for those structural elements rather than focusing exclusively on user choice.

Another pillar of the reform concerns monitoring systems. Spain currently relies in part on operator-developed detection mechanisms to identify problematic behaviour. The ministry now intends to introduce a framework designed by public health professionals, shifting the methodological basis of risk assessment. This approach would involve stricter reporting requirements and revised modelling criteria grounded in behavioural science rather than commercial metrics.

The intention is to embed prevention into platform architecture. Instead of relying on reactive tools triggered by significant losses, the new system would aim to identify patterns earlier and apply interventions more consistently. By aligning compliance obligations with public health standards, regulators hope to strengthen early detection and reduce long-term harm.

The debate unfolds against a backdrop of new data. The ESTUDES 2025 youth survey reported increased gambling participation among adolescents aged 14 to 18, both online and in physical venues. Although participation does not automatically translate into addiction, the findings have intensified political focus on digital gambling environments and their accessibility.

Barragán has described online gambling as a public health concern requiring sustained regulatory attention. In his view, the existing balance between commercial freedom and consumer protection does not sufficiently protect those at greater risk. The forthcoming measures are therefore presented not as isolated corrections but as part of an ongoing recalibration.