
New online casino accounts in Spain have halved over the past three years due to restrictions on casino promotions and welcome bonuses, a new study reveals. The restriction also influenced the marketing budget of iGaming operators targeting Spanish consumers, shifting the country’s gambling ecosystem.
Highlights of the Story
- 1.35 million new gambling accounts were opened in 2023, down 55% from 3.01 million in 2020.
- The blanket ban on gambling promotions and welcome bonuses reduced gambling activity and annual Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR).
- Despite the overall reduction in new gambling accounts, player deposits increased from €2.19 billion in 2020 to €3.18 billion in 2023.
Gambling Promotions Ban Yields Encouraging Results
According to the latest reports published by the Harm Reduction Journal on June 13, 2025, the number of new online gambling accounts in Spain was down 55% since the government banned gambling ads in 2020. A total of 1.35 million new casino accounts were created in 2023, compared to 3.01 million in 2020.
The restrictions impacted operators’ advertising and bonusing budgets. In response, gaming platforms invested fewer resources into developing more lucrative bonuses and promoting their services to Spanish consumers. The research suggests that the ban on welcome bonuses was a primary factor behind the reduction in new casino accounts. While the ban posed a challenge for operators in terms of marketing, it did contribute to preventing bonus abuse in online gambling, a challenge regulators face across global markets.
The data was gathered from company reports and compiled by the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ). The findings suggest that the regulatory measures have resulted in a reduction of the overall gambling behaviour among Spanish consumers, especially in terms of new accounts and annual GGR.
The Spanish Royal Decree on gambling behaviour imposed a complete ban on gambling adverts. This made it illegal to promote all gambling platforms on TV and radio, except for the period between 1 am and 5 am. Operators were only allowed to share ads with their followers on YouTube and other social channels, and not run paid campaigns.
The decree came into effect between November 2020 and August 2021, and the sponsorship ban was implemented at the end of the 2020/21 Spanish football season. The study shows new account creations dropped sharply after the ban in 2020, with the most striking year being 2022, when 35% fewer gambling accounts were created compared to the previous year.
Supreme Court Orders Relaxation on Ad Restrictions
The Spanish Supreme Court annulled several provisions of the Royal Decree in a judgment in April 2024. The order partially upheld an appeal made by the Spanish Digital Gaming Association. The apex court’s order overturned Article 13, allowing operators to promote their services to new players.
The court also overturned Article 15, which prevented celebrities from appearing in gambling ads. Additionally, operators can also promote their services on social media platforms. Despite the drop in new account creation, overall player deposits increased between 2020 and 2023.
Despite the presence of strict deposit limits (€600 per day, €1,500 per week and €3,000 per month), player deposits increased from €2.19 billion in 2020 to €3.18 billion in 2023. The total amount in wagers also increased from €20.75 billion in 2020 to €26.5 billion in 2023. However, the Royal Decree could have caused a slight decrease in wagers (€25.25 billion) in 2022.
Despite the overall impact of the Royal Decree, the Harm Reduction Journal asserted that the figures fell short of initial projections. Although the deposit figures in Q2 2021 were not immediately impacted by the ban, the numbers fell sharply in the following two years. Fewer ad spends were one of the contributing factors behind the encouraging figures.
Ad expenses reduced from €193.7 million in 2020 to €191.7 million in 2021 and €116.5 million in 2022. Bonus expenses also declined from €189.5 million in 2020 to €165.9 million in 2023. Sponsorship figures also fell from €25.76 million in 2020 to €2.67 million in 2022. However, a slight increase in ad spends (€122.8 million) in 2023 had a rippling effect on the sponsorship figures (€3.59 million) in the same year. Although these shifts were detrimental to the iGaming industry’s growth and marketing reach, they at least contributed to avoiding online casino scams by reducing exposure to misleading promotions.