Spanish Operators Challenge Cross-Operator Deposit Limits as Gaming in Spain Conference Opens

Spain’s regulated online gambling sector faces immediate pressure from new cross-operator deposit limits. Operators are preparing a Supreme Court challenge to Royal Decree 520/2026 while the Gaming in Spain Conference convenes in Madrid on October 15. A snap general election on November 29 adds uncertainty over the government’s wider gambling policy agenda.

Supreme Court Challenge to Deposit Limits

Royal Decree 520/2026 was published in Spain’s Official State Gazette on June 25. It sets default caps of €700 per day, €1,750 per week and €3,300 over four weeks. The Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ) will administer the system centrally. Implementation is scheduled for March 25, 2027.

Jdigital, the trade association for licensed online gambling operators, will contest the decree. The group contends that the restrictions conflict with the existing legal framework and are disproportionate. The challenge does not automatically suspend implementation. Operators must continue preparations to connect to the DGOJ’s central system unless the court grants interim measures.

The government also intends to introduce a centrally mandated algorithm to detect problem gambling and has announced broader amendments to Spain’s Gambling Act. Licensed operators have indicated they will refuse to cooperate with the proposed legislative overhaul.

Election Uncertainty Clouds Gambling Reform Agenda

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the snap general election for November 29 after Congress rejected two housing decrees. The vote comes around 10 months earlier than originally expected. It leaves uncertainty over whether the current administration will retain power and advance its gambling legislation. The deposit-limit timetable remains unchanged because the decree has already been published.

The conference brings together regulators and industry figures. DGOJ Director General Mikel Arana will deliver the keynote. Justo Sancho, the regulator’s director of safe gambling, will join a panel on the deposit limits. Jorge Hinojosa, director general of Jdigital, will present the industry perspective. Sessions will also cover Spanish market figures, problem gambling detection, EU anti-money laundering rules and illegal gambling advertising.

As reported by Casino News Daily, these developments occur against a backdrop of regulatory tension. Operators must balance compliance preparations with legal action. The election outcome could reshape the pace and scope of reform. The coming months will test whether the Supreme Court intervenes and how any new government approaches gambling policy.

Reporting: Casino News Daily

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