Spain to prevent influencers promoting gambling

Another European country pushes back against celebrity endorsements of gambling companies, with new reforms set to take place this year.

Spain is the latest country to move forward with rules to prevent celebrities and influencers from promoting gambling.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs of Spain has ordered the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ) to "modernise gambling laws in response to the growth of online gambling and new technologies". 

The new proposals would limit the visibility of gambling-related content in organic search results unless users are actively searching for gambling products. Influencer and celebrity endorsements would also be prohibited. 

Reform to a 15-year-old law

The original plans to ban influencer and celebrity endorsements were blocked in 2024 after being challenged at the Supreme Court. 

Now, however, new reforms look likely that will modernise Spain's 15-year-old gambling laws, adapting it better to modern trends and technologies. 

A consultation period is due to run until 22 June, where industry figures are invited to give their opinion on the new proposals. 

This is one of many recent stories across Europe where influencers have been targeted for promoting gambling. Last month, German rapper Capital Bra was served a €250,000 penalty notice for promoting illegal casinos. Earlier this year, Dutch regulators banned influencers from promoting gambling. Last year, two Finnish influencers were fined for promoting gambling.