Spanish gambling conference opens amid legal fights and political uncertainty
The conference gathers stakeholders as operators challenge deposit limits and a snap election looms.
MADRID — The 2026 Gaming in Spain Conference opens in Madrid on Thursday, October 15, as the country's regulated iGaming industry navigates major regulatory reforms and political upheaval.
Regulators, operators and legal experts will gather at the Auditorio ECIJA to examine deposit limits, gambling reforms and the political outlook.
Spain's regulated iGaming industry is currently facing a series of far-reaching regulatory reforms, including the implementation of cross-operator deposit limits and a central DGOJ-mandated problem gambling detection algorithm.
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In the longer term, the current government also announced fundamental amendments to Spain's Gambling Act.
Spanish-licensed operators, represented by trade association Jdigital, recently announced judicial proceedings against the government's plans to introduce cross-operator deposit limits.
Operators also signalled a refusal to cooperate with the government's current plans to overhaul the country's Gambling Act.
But while the industry was expecting that the present government would not return to power after the 2027 parliamentary elections, Spain's PM Pedro Sanches unexpectedly called snap elections for November 29.
The election call followed widespread protests over housing shortages and the opposition's refusal to provide the necessary support for the government's attempts to address the ongoing housing crisis.
The conference will feature presentations by key stakeholders including Mikel Arana, Director General of the DGOJ, Justo Sancho, Director of Safe Gambling at the DGOJ, and Jorge Hinojosa, Director General of Jdigital.
Other speakers include David Calvete Sarasa, Chief Inspector of the National Police, and Xavi Munoz Bellvehí, Managing Partner of ECIJA Barcelona.
The event's agenda comes amid legal challenges to cross-operator deposit limits, opposition to proposed amendments to the Gambling Act and political uncertainty ahead of the snap election.
The full agenda for the 2026 Gaming in Spain Conference is now available.
The conference takes place on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at the Auditorio ECIJA, close to the beating heart of always lively Madrid.
Registration for the event is now open.