The first bricks-and-mortar casinos were legalized in Spain in 1977. However, the path to regulated online gambling in Spain has been a long and steady one, and it was only in 2012 that the government finally introduced legislation to cover the industry.
Online slots were one notable exception to the law, and they remained illegal in Spain until new legislation was passed in 2014 to allow operators to apply for slot licences. That law came into effect on 2nd June 2015, and ten new operators were granted licences, along with 20 existing operators who had applied for the additional right to offer slots, including the likes of William Hill, and software supplier Playtech. Since then, many more leading operators have gotten licenses.
Slots players can now play at licensed online casinos in Spain. This is great news for players, as it means they can now play in a fully legal and fully regulated environment. Some of the best online casino sites in Spain are listed below:
When you are looking at the best online casino sites in Spain and trying to figure out which one is a good fit for you, there are a few boxes you need to tick. Our top recommended casinos do tick all these boxes – we’ve compared them against every single online casino in Spain and these are the ones that are a cut above the rest.
First and foremost, you want to make sure that a given online casino is licensed to cater to players in Spain. Otherwise, you will run into all sorts of issues and the site could very well be taken down by the Spanish authorities. By using a licensed online casino in Spain, you can be confident that all the games are fair and independent.
Another important factor to consider is the security of an online casino. You want to have the peace of mind that your money and sensitive data is kept safe and sound. Online casinos in Spain that use proper encryption technology is a must, with additional account security features always being a plus.
You want to make sure the casino you choose will have a great selection of different game types that suit your needs. Check to see if your favorite games are on offer and that there are enough options to keep you entertained for a long time. Some people may require the likes of a live dealer casino for example, not something that all operators will offer. We typically recommend casinos that have everything including slots, table games, live dealer games, video poker, and more.
One of the best things about signing up for a new online casino in Spain is taking advantage of the casino bonus package. These come in many different shapes and sizes. It’s always a good idea to read the terms and conditions of a bonus offer, as some can appear good on the surface but not as much when you dig a bit deeper. The presence of a loyalty program and regular promotions for existing players are also some things to look out for.
You want to ensure that your preferred banking methods will be offered by a given online casino. In Spain, licensed operators now support a lot of local payment options, as well as the traditional methods like debit card, credit cards and e-wallets. We check the transaction times for every casino we review because, no matter what method you prefer, you should be able to get your winnings back quickly.
Like other EU countries, online gambling in Spain in constantly expanding. While the overall economy has been struggling in recent years, online gambling has been bucking all trends. With the abundance of smartphones, it has never been easier to gamble. Online casinos in Spain are now catering to the wishes of their players by offering localised customer support and payment options.
Exciting new offerings are constantly hitting the market. These range from new online casinos to fresh game variants for slots, table games and live dealer games. Sports betting and online poker are also extremely popular forms of online gambling in Spain. With Spain being football-mad, it will not be surprising to hear that it accounts for the majority of sports bets. Naturally, real money slots are also one of most played online gambling game types.
No matter what your needs may be, our recommended online casinos in Spain will have you covered!
Despite a generally liberal attitude to gambling, the online scene has taken a long time to reach this point in Spain.
Although land-based casinos have been legal since 1977, it wasn’t until much later that the industry really boomed. In 2008 the government split the country into 17 separate regions which could grant their own gaming licenses as they saw fit. This led to rapid growth and the country now houses over 40 casinos.
Online sports betting had already been made legal by the government in 2006, but it wasn’t until 2010 that the 17 gaming authorities met with the National Gaming Board to begin discussions on the regulation of online gambling. A new law was passed in May 2011, which allowed the development of all online casino gaming in Spain except for games exclusive to the National Lottery and Blind National Lottery, Bingo, and live in-play betting (including slot machines). Individual licences must be obtained for every game type that operators wish to offer, and licences are only granted to companies that house their servers in Spain and operate from .es websites.
The Gambling Act also covered advertising, promotion and sponsorship, making it illegal to advertise, endorse or promote betting activities and websites of operators who do not hold the appropriate licenses. The Act also enables Spanish authorities to impose large fines on operators that try to provide services to Spanish players. Unlike countries such as France and Portugal who tried to pass similar legislation, Spain has been relatively successful with more than 50 sites withdrawing their services voluntarily, and legal proceedings pursued against operators who attempted to continue.
Poker is one area where legislation is behind the rest of the sector. Poker games are currently ring-fenced in the country in much the same way as France and Italy. Essentially, this means that poker players can only play against other players in Spain, and can’t take part in larger, international tournaments.
Despite these limitations, online poker has still grown in popularity in Spain in recent years. In 2019, poker revenue was €81.3m, which compares to a figure of €59.8m in 2015. Overall online gambling revenue was €748.5m, a 7% year-on-year rise. Sports betting has the biggest share of the revenue with €378.6m (about 50% of total revenue). pain’s casino online market accounted for €273.9m or 36% of total gaming revenue.
Efforts in recent years to stop players in Spain using illegal online gambling sites have proven to be successful, helping licensed operators to thrive. There are also positive signs that online poker liquidity will be shared with other major European markets like Italy and France in the near future.
There is no such restriction on the slots market, and with so many big international operators having stepped into the arena, Spanish players are now spoilt for choice. Slots have been the major area of growth in the gaming sector across the majority of Europe. The Spanish government has been happy with the tax revenue it has gotten to date from these online slots offerings.
Slots players have welcomed having more freedom of choice and a competitive marketplace. The largest online casino sites in Spain are constantly adding new slots. There is a great deal of competition as operators vie for new customers and try to hold onto existing players.t is an environment which players can take advantage of in terms of sign-up bonuses, welcome promotions and free bets.
The opportunities for online gambling in Spain have never been more exciting!
As the online gambling scene in Spain continues to grow and evolve, it is only going to get more enjoyable for players. Restrictions on the types of games on offer have been gradually lifted in recent years, leading to a flood of newly licensed operators entering the sector.
The operators really focus on making the playing experience as easy and as enjoyable as possible. Local payment options are on offer and the customer support teams are always on hand to resolve any issues. With so many great sites battling it out to be the best online casino in Spain, you really are spoilt for choice. Choose one of these great options to sign up for today!
Online gambling in Spain is legal with very few restrictions. With the new legislations in place, online punters must play on gambling sites licenced in Spain. This has made it safer for players who can now play in a fully legal, regulated environment with top online casino sites in Spain at their fingertips.
We have put together a list of the best online casinos accepting players from Spain for you to choose from. We review them based on safety, ease of the registration process, quality and graphics of their games, bonuses, promotions, user friendliness, payment methods and better earnings per game.
Yes, you can. Once you register with a casino and make your first deposit, you can play for real money on any game of your choice. We also recommend playing the game for free for the first few spins to get a good feel of it before playing for real cash.
Promotions still apply for online casinos in Spain, with every casino offering different types of welcome bonuses, free spins for slot games and no deposit bonuses. It is always recommended to consult the regulations for the online casino and read all the terms available.
Every online casino is different and will offer different options. However, the most accepted payment options at the best casino sites in Spain are credit cards such as Visa and Mastercard, PayPal and other electronic wallets. Withdrawals normally happen in a similar way with an added option of having money transferred directly into your account.
