Licensed prediction betting coming to Spain?
A recent Gaming in Spain webinar highlighted major developments in the Spanish regulated igaming market, including upcoming regulatory amendments and the introduction of cross-operator deposit limits.
Press release.- A recent Gaming in Spain webinar highlighted several major developments in the Spanish regulated igaming market.
Xavi Munoz Bellvehí, managing partner at ECIJA Barcelona; Camille Gonzálvez, TMT & igaming lawyer at ECIJA; and Josh Hodgson, COO of H2 Gambling Capital, addressed the latest developments in Spain’s regulated igaming market, ranging from upcoming legislation to the possibility of permitted prediction betting.
New legislation
The DGOJ recently launched a public consultation on a series of specific amendments to Spain’s Remote Gambling Act. The DGOJ proposes, among other things, the following new measures:
- Stricter player ID requirements to prevent income tax evasion.
- A registry for approved B2B software suppliers to help fight illegal gambling.
- Additional advertising restrictions in line with the Spanish government’s earlier, unsuccessful attempts to restrict gambling advertising.
All these proposals would require new primary legislation.
Cross-operator deposit limits
Just before the webinar, the Spanish government also approved a new framework for cross-operator deposit limits in Spain. The six-month testing period will start on September 25, with the final introduction of cross-operator deposit limits scheduled for March 25, 2027.
According to H2, the introduction of cross-operator deposit limits will lead to an estimated €300m decline in annual onshore player spend. Market channelisation is expected to decline from its current rate of 76 per cent to 74 per cent in 2027, and to eventually stabilise at around 71 `per cent from 2028 onwards.
Prediction markets & prediction betting
Although the DGOJ recently announced enforcement proceedings against Polymarket and Kalshi, there may nonetheless be room to offer prediction betting under existing Spanish igaming regulation.
Current rules allow betting on sporting events where players bet against other players with the operator only acting as an intermediary, ECIJA’s Camille Gonzálvez explained. This would seem to imply that prediction markets, if limited to sports or horse racing, could fit into Spain’s existing regulatory betting framework.
Since prediction betting is rapidly growing in popularity, this could be good news for Spanish-licensed operators. However, it should be noted that the competitive position of prediction markets vis-à-vis sports betting operators tends to be significantly overestimated due to the way that transaction volumes in a prediction market are calculated.
Webinar video
A full recording of the webinar is available below.
More updates at the 2026 Gaming in Spain Conference!
If you are interested in Spain’s regulated igaming market, don’t miss this year’s Gaming in Spain Conference, which will take place on Tuesday, October 15 in Madrid.
This year’s conference will cover the latest regulatory developments – including, of course, the DGOJ’s new problem gambling detection algorithm and cross-operator deposit limits.
The event will also look at new game types, such as prediction betting and sweepstakes, and will explore to what extent these new products can be offered in accordance with Spain’s current regulatory framework.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Xavi Munoz Bellvehí, managing partner, ECIJA Barcelona
- Jorge Hinojosa, director general, Jdigital
- Pedro López Martín-Andino, managing partner at MartínAndino Abogados
- Patricia Lalanda, partner, Loyra Abogados
- Camille Gonzálvez, TMT & igaming lawyer, ECIJA
- Christian Heins, founder, European Gambling Gathering
- Mauro De Fabritiis, founder, MDF Partners
- Dmitry Belianin, managing partner, Blask
- Björn Fuchs, board member, VNLOK
- Rasmus Kjaergaard, CEO Mindway AI
- Other speakers TBA soon!
