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Comparison with France and Italy
Spain, France and Italy are three big but fundamentally different approaches to gambling regulation. Everyone has a common goal (protecting players, fighting illegal immigrants, stable taxes), but the tools and "red lines" are different: somewhere they tighten advertising to almost zero, somewhere they close entire verticals (online casinos), and somewhere they allow a wide online portfolio, compensating for this with high compliance requirements.
1) Snapshot: what is allowed online
Spain - betting, poker, online casinos (including slots and live tables), online bingo are allowed. Lotteries - state/social sector (SELAE/ONCE).
France - betting, betting on horse races and online poker are allowed; online casinos (slots, roulette, etc.) are prohibited.
Italy - almost all online verticals (bets, casinos, slots, poker, bingo) are allowed under the broad licensing system.
Conclusion: on the spectrum of the online product, Spain is closer to Italy, and France stands apart due to the ban on online casinos.
2) Regulators and oversight architecture
Spain: national regulator DGOJ (online), offline - autonomous communities. Centralized online framework + regional offline specifics.
France: ANJ - unified supervision of all excitement (except land-based casinos, where there is a distribution of roles), a strong emphasis on advertising and RG.
Italy: ADM (Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli) is a historically "fiscal-regulatory" model with high detail of technical and tax rules.
3) Sports advertising and sponsorship
Spain: strict regime (actually "night windows" on the air, heavy restrictions on digital, prohibition of welcome bonuses for new customers; promo - only for already verified accounts). Sports sponsorship is possible point and with restrictions on exposure and age filters.
France: strict control of the tone and volume of advertising, strict labeling, restrictions in the live context and around sports; the general approach is "minimum stimulation," especially to vulnerable groups.
Italy: one of the toughest bans in the EU on advertising and sponsorship of gambling (including sports) is the de facto "dry law" of promo with rare exceptions (information formats, responsible messages, etc.).
Conclusion: according to the "rigidity of the promo" Italy ≥ Spain ≥ France, but France has an additional "filter" - a ban on online casinos as such.
4) Responsible play (RG) and defensive tools
Spain: national RGIAJ self-exclusion registry (blocking for all licensed operators), mandatory limits/timers, behavioral risk monitoring, enhanced youth protection 18-25, strict KYC/AML.
France: focus on warnings and restrictions on "harmful" communication formats; strong self-exclusion tools and behavioral interventions; separate help lines and media companies by RG.
Italy: a complete set of RG tools built into the license conditions; mandatory limits, self-exclusion, risk contact procedures. The practice of hard execution through ADM.
All three countries agree on one thing: RG is a must-have part of product design and marketing.
5) Taxes and the economy
Spain: online operators pay 20% with GGR (bets minus winnings); in Ceuta/Melilla - reduced rate in real presence. Offline - taxes of autonomies.
France: historically - significant load (partly on turnover for bets/racetracks; poker is closer to GGR logic). Together, taxes + banning online casinos form a "moderate" in size, but stable "white" market.
Italy: GGR approach with different rates by vertical; the cumulative load is higher than the Spanish, but compensated by the breadth of the legal portfolio (including slots).
Economic effect: Italy has the widest base for GGR, Spain has a balanced rate with strict advertising, France has a "narrowed" base due to the ban on online casinos.
6) Payments, KYC/AML and Data
Everywhere - strict identification (before deposit/withdrawal), transaction monitoring, log storage, reporting.
Crypto payments as a channel for mass licensed online are not accepted systemically; priority - identified bank/fintech rails.
GDPR - single background: data minimization, subject rights, DPIA for risk models.
7) Execution and combating offshore
Spain: blocking unlicensed sites through payment and host mechanisms, media filters, fines for affiliates.
France: systematic control of showcases and marketing, judicial restraint for "gray" offers, strict policy towards providers/platforms.
Italy: emphasis on fiscal and technical performance; long-term practice of suppressing advertising and access to illegal immigrants.
8) Strengths and weaknesses of models
Spain (broad portfolio + strict advertising balance)
Wide legal online assortment (incl. slots) → better sewerage.
Unified nat. online regulator (DGOJ) and mature RG tools (RGIAJ).
− The rigid advertising frame complicates competition in the "white" zone and the promotion of a new brand.
France (conservative product filter)
Low "harmful" potential due to the ban on online casinos.
Strong RG culture and transparency in betting/poker.
− A narrow product line pushes part of the demand offshore; it is more difficult to channel the "casino game."
Italy (wide portfolio under the "dry law" of advertising)
An almost complete range of licensed online products → high sewer potential.
A long history of tech regulation and fiscal discipline.
− Almost forbidden advertising reduces the ability of legal operators to compete with illegal immigrants in acquisiton channels.
9) What it means for Spain in comparison
In terms of product, Spain is closer to Italy (both allow online casinos), but in terms of advertising - somewhere in the middle between Italy (as tough as possible) and France (strictly, but without a "total" ban).
In the mobile traffic channel and data compliance, Spain holds the European level of maturity, and the unified RGIAJ register is a strong point that increases market confidence and manageability.
At the online tax rate (20% GGR), Spain looks competitive: higher than in low-tax offshore companies, but balanced for a large "white" EU market.
10) Outlook 2030: Diverging trajectories
Spain: a course towards "stable but regulated" growth - point technopilots RG/UX, tough advertising, strict KYC/AML; there is no need to expect an expansion of the range - it is already wide.
France: likely to keep online casino ban; development will go through RG, transparency and neat betting/poker adjustments.
Italy: will retain a broad online portfolio while continuing to "squeeze" advertising; key to sewerage - technical design and payment/host units.
Bottom line.
In short: Spain - "wide legal online + strict advertising and strong RG," France - "narrow legal online (without casinos) + high control of communications," Italy - "wide legal online + almost zero advertising." For the operator, this means different entry strategies: in Spain - an emphasis on compliance-by-design, retention and UX, in France - niche and responsible marketing around betting/poker, in Italy - operational efficiency and affiliation within a rigid promotional framework.