Spain's Digital Betting and Gambling Market Exhibits a 50% Annual Increase
The Spanish gambling ecosystem is experiencing a significant surge, as indicated by the latest report from the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gaming (DGOJ). Despite regulatory challenges and the rise of illegal crypto gambling, the online gaming segment in Spain continues to expand.
Key figures for the first quarter of 2025 reveal an overall market size of around €398.1 million, a 13.7% year-on-year increase.
The online casino segment, which includes slots, generated €203.06 million, accounting for 51% of the Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR). Slot games showed a 42% year-on-year growth, while live roulette and other casino games contributed to the growth as well.
Online sports betting accounted for 42% of the GGR, reaching €165.9 million, and showing the strongest growth engine in the market with nearly a 24% increase over 2024, particularly in live betting.
Online poker reported €100.1 million GGR in 2024, declining by 4.99% compared to 2023, indicating a drop in player popularity or spending. On the other hand, online bingo added 1.1% to its GGR.
Active online gamblers increased by 21.63% over the last year, with new account registrations rising by 34.73% at the start of 2025. However, the channelization rate slightly declined from 79% in 2024 to 77% in 2025, indicating a rise in players moving to unlicensed, often crypto-enabled, offshore sites.
The monthly average of active game accounts is 1,158,628, showing a decrease of 2.57% compared to the previous quarter and an annual increase of 11.06%.
Affiliate spending, deposits and withdrawals by players, and promotional spending all showed varying trends, with some increases and decreases compared to the previous quarter and the same quarter of the previous year.
In summary, while Spain’s regulated online gaming segments—especially sports betting and casino games—continue to grow robustly, the poker segment has declined slightly, and bingo remains marginal. A notable risk factor is the growing black market fueled by cryptocurrency gambling platforms, challenging the DGOJ’s regulatory efforts.
This growth comes amid evolving regulatory measures and intensified enforcement actions, including recent shutdowns of illegal operators to protect the market and players.
[1] DGOJ Report Q1 2025 [2] Spanish Gambling Authority Annual Report 2025 [3] DGOJ Market Analysis Q1 2025 [4] Spanish Gambling Market Trends 2025 [5] Online Gaming Trends in Spain 2024-2025
Last updated on June 23, 2025. Originally posted on June 29, 2023.
- The surge in Spain's gambling ecosystem, as shown by the DGOJ Report Q1 2025, is primarily driven by the online gaming segment, with casino-games like slots, roulette, and poker contributing significantly.
- Surprisingly, online poker reported a decline in GGR in 2024, contrasting the growth trends observed in other casino-games such as slots and roulette.
- On the other hand, online sports-betting continues to be the strongest growth engine, with nearly a 24% increase over 2024, and a massive €165.9 million GGR in Q1 2025.
- The European gaming market, including Spain, is facing challenges due to the rise of unlicensed, often crypto-enabled, offshore sites, as indicated by the slight decrease in the channelization rate from 79% in 2024 to 77% in 2025.
- Internet gaming is seeing a rapid expansion in Spain, with active online gamblers increasing by 21.63% over the last year and new account registrations rising by 34.73% at the start of 2025.
- Despite regulatory efforts and intensified enforcement actions, the emergence of crypto gambling poses a significant risk to the Spanish gaming ecosystem, challenging the authority of the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gaming (DGOJ).
