Spain approves Customer Service Law: iGaming operators & influencers
The Congress of Deputies in Spain gave the green light to the Customer Service Law, a regulation that seeks to raise quality standards in user service and prevent abusive practices, both in public and private services. The project was approved with the support of PSOE, Sumar, ERC, Junts, Bildu, PNV, Podemos, BNG, Coalición Canaria, and Compromís, with opposition from Vox and abstention from PP and UPN.
During his speech in the chamber, the Minister of Social Rights and Consumer Affairs, Pablo Bustinduy, emphasized that the regulation “marks a turning point in the relationship between consumers and companies, establishing clear rights and enforceable obligations.”
The law especially strengthens protection for digital consumers, including substantial changes to the Gambling Regulation Law (Law 13/2011), with direct implications for the iGaming ecosystem and online betting.
“Influencers” under legal supervision
One of the most relevant novelties for the sector is the inclusion in the Law of the concept of “persons of relevance or public notoriety,” defined as those individuals with “broad social recognition or among certain groups,” that is, influencers, athletes, content creators, or celebrities who promote betting houses or online casinos.
With this modification, influencers who promote gambling activities must comply with the same advertising restrictions as companies in the sector, in line with the provisions of Royal Decree 958/2020 on Commercial Communications of Gambling Activities, which prohibits, among other points, advertising bets involving minors or during live sporting events.
The measure expands the capacity of the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ) to sanction public figures and agencies that disseminate messages that may encourage problematic gambling or target vulnerable audiences.
According to the DGOJ, the integration of the influencer concept into legislation “seeks to close a regulatory gap” that allowed personalities with great digital reach to escape current regulation by not being considered operators or traditional media.
New conditions for online gambling operators
The law also introduces new operational requirements for betting and digital casino platforms:
- Limited promotions: bonuses and offers may only be used by users with an active account for at least 30 days, previously verified with documentation, a measure aligned with the responsible gaming policies already applied by the DGOJ.
- Nominal payments: operators may only accept payment methods registered in the player’s name, prohibiting third-party cards or accounts, aiming to prevent fraud, impersonation, and money laundering.
- Accounts in Spain: companies must maintain one or more bank accounts in Spanish entities, where players’ funds—both deposits and winnings—will be deposited, ensuring financial security and traceability.
- Registry of gambling providers: an official registry will be created for companies that develop or maintain technical components of gaming systems (software, RNG, payment gateways, etc.), to prevent the operation of unauthorized or foreign-based providers.
- The DGOJ estimates that this registry will “improve technological supervision and reduce the participation of illegal providers in the Spanish market.”
Impact on the iGaming industry
The approval of this law strengthens Spain’s position as one of the most regulated markets in Europe regarding online gambling, alongside the United Kingdom and Denmark.
According to DGOJ data (Quarterly Report Q2 2025), the Spanish online gambling sector moved more than €313 million in GGR, with a year-on-year growth of 4.8%, mainly driven by the sports betting and online casino segments.
The introduction of new requirements on identification, payments, and advertising could imply additional compliance costs for operators, but also an increase in consumer trust and greater market transparency.
From the Spanish Digital Gambling Association (Jdigital), its president Jorge Hinojosa stated in remarks to Expansión that “strengthening consumer protection rules is positive, provided a balance is maintained that does not push users towards unregulated platforms.”
Tags: Spain, iGaming Spain, betting regulation Spain, Spain Customer Service Provision Act