Spain’s Gambling Ads Ban Causes 55% Drop in New Online Casino Accounts
A recent report reveals that Spain’s gambling ads ban and strict advertising regulations have had a profound impact on the country’s online gambling landscape, leading to a substantial decline in new account registrations. Over the span of three years, the number of new online gambling accounts in Spain has fallen by more than half, primarily due to the implementation of marketing restrictions and the ban on welcome bonuses introduced in 2020.
According to research published in the peer-reviewed Harm Reduction Journal on June 13, 2025, the total number of new online gambling accounts in 2023 was 1.35 million. This figure marks a 55% decrease from the 3.01 million accounts recorded in 2020. The restrictions, which included a ban on advertising and bonusing, were identified as key drivers behind this sharp decline. The study suggests that the prohibition on welcome bonuses, in particular, played a significant role in reducing the influx of new players, as companies curtailed their marketing and promotional efforts in response to regulatory constraints.
The data underpinning these findings was collected from company reports and aggregated by Spain’s Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ). The research indicates that these regulatory measures have caused a lasting decrease in gambling activity, especially in the creation of new accounts and overall gross gaming revenue (GGR). When the Royal Decree was enacted, it introduced a series of restrictions: it banned gambling sponsorship deals, heavily curtailed TV and radio advertising—permitting broadcasts only between 5 a.m. and 1 a.m.—and prohibited the use of celebrities and influencers in advertising campaigns. Additionally, advertising on video-sharing platforms like YouTube was also outlawed.
The measures, which were rolled out gradually from November 2020 to August 2021, had immediate and lasting effects. The sponsorship ban, for instance, was enforced from the conclusion of the 2020-21 Spanish football season. The research shows a consistent decline in new account sign-ups over the three years following the regulations’ implementation, with the most pronounced drop occurring in 2022. That year, sign-ups fell to 1.37 million—down 35% from 2.61 million in 2021. Interestingly, the data indicates that before the restrictions, annual new account numbers had been steadily increasing from 2015 through 2020.
The Royal Decree’s impact was stark; estimates suggest that it directly reduced the number of new accounts by approximately 263,000 in the second quarter of 2021 alone. Notably, the models used for the analysis factored in the effects of COVID-19, which also influenced gambling behaviors during this period.
However, a notable turn occurred in April 2024, when Spain’s Supreme Court annulled several of the Royal Decree’s provisions. The Spanish Digital Gaming Association successfully appealed, leading to the partial reinstatement of certain marketing freedoms. Specifically, Article 13, which restricted operators from marketing to new players, was overturned, allowing companies to resume some promotional activities. The ban on celebrities and influencers in advertising was also repealed, along with the prohibition on gambling ads on video-sharing platforms.
Read also: WA. Technology Launches International Sportsbook Risk & Trading Management Solution
Despite the decline in new account sign-ups, overall player deposits continued to increase over the three-year period following the initial restrictions. Deposits rose from €2.19 billion in 2020 to €3.18 billion in 2023. To regulate this activity, deposit limits were introduced, capping daily deposits at €600, weekly at €1,500, and monthly at €3,000. Total bets placed also increased, from €20.75 billion in 2020 to €26.5 billion in 2023. However, there was a slight dip in the total amount wagered in 2022, dropping to €25.25 billion from €25.33 billion in 2021. Still, the Harm Reduction Journal notes that these figures fell short of initial projections, suggesting that the Royal Decree’s restrictions did not fully contain gambling activity as intended.
Advertising expenditure reflected these regulatory changes. Between 2021 and 2023, advertising spend decreased significantly—from €193.7 million in 2020 to €191.7 million in 2021, then plummeting by 39% to €116.5 million in 2022. In 2023, marketing spend experienced a slight rebound to €122.8 million. Similarly, bonusing expenditures saw a marked decline, falling from €189.5 million in 2020 to €165.9 million in 2023. Sponsorship spending was particularly affected, dropping from €25.76 million in 2020 to just €2.67 million in 2022, before slightly increasing to €3.59 million in 2023.
Overall, the report underscores how Spain’s regulatory measures have reshaped the online gambling environment, significantly curtailing new player acquisition and advertising activities while paradoxically coinciding with increased deposits and betting volumes. Spain’s gambling ads ban
