Spain’s online gambling industry delivered strong growth in the second quarter of 2025, even as regulators and politicians scrutinize the sector more closely.
According to the latest figures from the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego-DGOJ), gross gaming revenue (GGR) climbed to €410.3 million, marking an 18.6 percent year-on-year increase and a 2.8 percent rise compared to Q1 2025.
The performance came despite Spain maintaining some of the strictest gambling regulations in Europe. While a 2024 Supreme Court decision allowed operators to reintroduce welcome bonuses and limited social media advertising, restrictions such as the ban on sports sponsorships remain firmly in place.
Online casino leads growth in Spain as betting rebounds in Q2 2025
Online casino continued to dominate the market in Q2 2025, generating €216.4 million, or 52.7 percent of total GGR, a 26 percent year-on-year increase, supported by a 33.6 percent jump in slots revenue.
Sports betting followed with €171.4 million (41.8 percent of GGR), up 18.2 percent from the previous year. Pre-match betting surged by 24.6 percent, while live betting contracted sharply by 33.2 percent.
Poker and bingo, however, remained weak, as poker revenue dropped 21.1 percent to €19.1 million, while bingo declined 6.9 percent to €3.4 million. Together, they accounted for less than six percent of the overall market.
Player activity also showed resilience. Deposits reached €1.35 billion, up 23.7 percent year-on-year, while withdrawals rose 28.9 percent to €962.9 million. Compared to Q1 2025, however, both metrics saw marginal declines of less than one percent.
Operators invested heavily in marketing during the quarter, spending €164.5 million, a 37.1 percent increase year-on-year, though down 0.2 percent from the previous quarter. Sponsorships saw the sharpest rise, up 53 percent quarter-on-quarter.
This push drove account growth, with 504,853 new registrations in Q2, up 1.7 percent from 2024. Yet compared to Q1 2025, new accounts fell 11.6 percent. The number of active accounts rose 21 percent year-on-year to 1.7 million, though dipped 2.4 percent from the previous quarter.
Despite these gains, the iGaming sector faces renewed political scrutiny. The Ministry of Social Rights (MAS) has linked the return of bonuses to the sharp increase in account sign-ups last year, while the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has raised concerns about young people’s exposure to gambling products and advertising.
Industry stakeholders, including domestic firms Codere and CIRSA as well as international players such as bwin and Betway, continue to operate in a competitive environment.
With nearly 20 percent annual growth, the iGaming market of Spain looks set to maintain momentum, but mounting political pressure suggests operators may soon face tighter oversight despite recent gains.
