Spain is about to change the way gambling looks online. Online gambling platforms will soon have to display clear, unavoidable harm messages. This is similar to how cigarette packs carry bold warnings about the dangers of smoking.
At a Safe Gaming event recently, the Minister of Social Rights, Consumption and the 2030 Agenda, Pablo Bustinduy, said that the days of soft slogans are over.
Players will see direct warnings such as “Gambling addiction is a risk of gambling,” “The probability of being a losing gambler is 75%,” and “Losses for all gamblers are four times greater than their winnings.” These replace vague messages like “Play responsibly.”
These messages will appear on banners, login screens, mobile apps, and even digital ads. Bustinduy explained why: the responsibility for safety should not rest only on players. He said that regulators and governments, have a duty to make the environments people use every day safe by design.
The move builds on Royal Decree 958/2020, or the major gambling law of Spain that has already banned most advertising stopped gambling sponsorships in sport. Yet, officials felt the old approach with generic “responsible play” messages, wasn’t enough.
The government is now switching to hard facts. It uses real data to warn players about risks. These warnings appear before players even start to play.
The warning labels are only part of the picture. Spain’s gambling framework is going by broader reforms.
First, advertising restrictions. A new Customer Service Law, currently being debated in Congress, would ban welcome bonuses. It would also prevent celebrities from appearing in gambling ads.
Second, player limits: The regulator, the DGOJ, is preparing to roll out a central deposit limit system. The law would cap play at €600 daily, €1,500 weekly, and €3,000 monthly. These rules would apply to all players across every platform.
Third, AI monitoring. Plans are in place for a mandatory AI-driven system to detect warning signs in real time. It will track factors like how quickly someone is playing, session length, and sudden changes in patterns.
