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German B2C and B2B transactional portals run on the framework we are developing! Spain’s first International Gaming Congress
When Spain opened the doors of the National Mint and Stamp Factory to host the International Gaming Congress in Spain, it was not just another industry gathering. It was a clear statement that the country wants to put the social impact of gambling at the center of its public debate, regulatory strategy, and industry future.
Held under the theme The Social Impact of Gaming, the event brought together a mix of government officials, operators, academics, laboratories, providers, player associations and legal experts. This blend of perspectives underlines how gambling is no longer viewed as a niche entertainment product, but as a complex ecosystem that affects public health, consumer rights and digital markets. In many ways, the congress reflects how Spain is positioning itself as a laboratory for more socially conscious gaming regulation.
The setting itself was symbolic. Hosting the congress at the National Mint and Stamp Factory connected the discussion around gambling to questions of institutional trust, consumer protection and economic governance. By choosing a venue with such historical and financial weight, organisers signalled that the conversation about gaming is aligned with broader national priorities, rather than being treated as a marginal or purely commercial issue.
One of the most striking aspects of the congress was its inclusive, bilingual format, supported by simultaneous translation for both in-person attendees and virtual viewers. This approach opened access to a wider international audience, reinforcing the idea that the debate on the social impact of gambling is not confined to Spain alone, but is part of a shared global challenge where regulatory choices in one market can inform others that are watching closely.
Political leadership puts social impact at the forefront
The congress was inaugurated through a video message by Pablo Bustinduy, Minister of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda. His intervention framed the event around a clear political priority, the creation of safe gaming environments that protect minors from premature initiation and from the development of problem gambling behaviours. This framing sends a strong signal to operators that social responsibility is not an optional add-on, but a core expectation.
By linking gaming policy to the broader 2030 Agenda, the minister effectively positioned gambling within a long term social and developmental framework. For industry stakeholders, this suggests that future debates around advertising, product design and online access will increasingly be evaluated against criteria of social sustainability, rather than only fiscal or commercial metrics, a shift that has significant strategic implications.
Andrés Barragán, Secretary General of Consumer Affairs and Gaming, anchored these political messages in concrete regulatory developments. In his opening remarks at the venue, he announced that the Congress of Deputies had approved measures banning welcome bonuses and requiring payment with bank cards that match the ownership of online gaming accounts. These steps were presented as part of a broader drive to align market growth with enhanced player protection.
The ban on welcome bonuses is particularly significant for marketing and acquisition strategies. In competitive iGaming markets, such bonuses have often been used as aggressive tools to attract new players, sometimes encouraging impulsive sign ups. Spain’s decision to eliminate them, at least in the form targeted by the law, suggests a shift towards a model where long term engagement, safer play and transparent value propositions are prioritised over short term spikes in registrations.
Stricter controls on payments and identity
The requirement that payment be made with bank cards matching the ownership of online gaming accounts points to a growing focus on identity verification and financial transparency. This measure is designed to address issues such as the use of third party cards, potential fraud and the masking of gambling activity, all of which can undermine consumer protection and hinder effective monitoring of risk behaviours.
For operators, these rules will likely translate into tighter KYC and payment processing workflows. While this may introduce additional friction at the point of deposit, it also has the potential to strengthen trust in regulated platforms, by ensuring that account holders and payers are the same individuals, a prerequisite for robust harm minimisation tools and more accurate behavioural analytics.
Barragán expressed clear satisfaction with the legislative progress, underscoring that these reforms are not isolated measures, but milestones in an evolving regulatory architecture. For market analysts, that satisfaction is telling, it indicates that regulators see growing alignment between political mandates, parliamentary decisions and the day to day oversight of the market, an alignment that typically leads to a more stable, if stricter, operating environment.
Who attended the International Gaming Congress in Spain
The first session of the International Gaming Congress in Spain drew more than 320 attendees at full capacity. Operators represented the largest group at 25 percent, underlining how seriously the commercial side of the sector is taking these policy signals. When operators show up in these numbers, it usually means they recognise that the decisions being discussed will directly shape their business models and regulatory obligations.
The Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling accounted for 14 percent of attendees, a strong presence that reflects the central role of the regulator in orchestrating and guiding the conversation. Universities made up 13 percent, and legal services and consultancy represented another 13 percent, a distribution that underscores how gambling has become a multidisciplinary field, touching law, public health, economics and social science, with each group bringing different evidence and perspectives to the table.
Public administration and public authorities each accounted for 6 percent, while laboratories, providers and services represented another 6 percent. Player and consumer associations and operator associations each comprised 4 percent of attendees, figures that suggest that civil society voices are present, albeit on a smaller scale than industry and institutional actors, but their inclusion is vital to ensure that discussions of the social impact of gambling include lived experience and consumer advocacy.
Hybrid format and digital reach
In addition to the in person audience, the sessions were broadcast live on the YouTube channels of the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling and the Secretary General of Consumer Affairs and Gaming. The streams registered over 400 views during the first day of the event, a number that, while modest in raw terms, demonstrates a meaningful extension of the congress beyond the physical venue, which can grow further as recordings remain available online.
The use of bilingual feeds and simultaneous translation points to a deliberate strategy to position Spain’s International Gaming Congress as part of the international conversation around responsible gambling. For international operators, suppliers and regulators, this digital accessibility can turn the congress into a regular point of reference, where policy directions are communicated and debated in near real time, reducing information asymmetries across markets.
From a wider industry perspective, the streaming of such events also shapes public narratives about gambling. Instead of closed door meetings, stakeholders can now observe in an open forum how regulators articulate goals, how operators respond and how researchers frame risks and potential interventions, a level of transparency that can influence both media coverage and consumer trust.
What the social impact focus means for the iGaming sector
The explicit theme of the congress, the social impact of gaming, is more than a slogan. It reflects a broader movement in many regulated markets where governments increasingly expect operators to embed harm prevention into the core of their products, marketing and data strategies. In Spain, this is now being translated into targeted legislative steps like the ban on welcome bonuses and stricter payment ownership rules.
For operators active in the Spanish market, this shift will likely require rethinking three key pillars, acquisition strategies that no longer rely on attractive welcome offers as the primary hook, product and UX design that integrates safer gambling tools more visibly and proactively, and internal compliance structures capable of interpreting and implementing new regulations quickly. Those that adapt early can position themselves as leaders in responsible gaming, which may become a competitive advantage rather than only a cost centre.
On the regulatory side, the presence of universities and laboratories suggests that Spain is interested in evidence based policymaking. Incorporating academic research into rulemaking can support a more nuanced approach where measures are tested against outcomes, such as changes in problem gambling indicators or shifts in player behaviour. For the industry, participation in such evidence building can help ensure that regulation is both effective and proportionate.
Implications for player protection and public perception
Bustinduy’s focus on protecting minors from premature initiation into gambling reveals a clear concern with early exposure, especially in digital environments where lines between gaming and gambling can blur. Policy debates in many countries are increasingly looking at age verification, advertising thresholds and the role of influencers or social media in normalising betting like behaviours among young audiences.
Spain’s chosen measures target the financial and promotional sides of the market, but they fit within that wider protective logic. By removing welcome bonuses that could entice inexperienced players and making payment more traceable, regulators are seeking to curb the kinds of triggers that can lead to harmful engagement. Over time, if such policies are seen to reduce risk without eliminating access to entertainment for informed adults, they can improve the public image of the sector.
The involvement of player and consumer associations, even at 4 percent of attendees, is an important part of that reputational equation. These groups can provide feedback on whether measures are reaching the right audiences, how vulnerable players experience current systems and where gaps remain. An ongoing dialogue with these stakeholders helps align formal rules with the realities of user experience on gambling platforms.
Spain’s potential influence on other markets
Because the International Gaming Congress in Spain was designed with a hybrid and bilingual model, its impact may reach beyond national borders. Regulators in other jurisdictions often observe how peers implement new restrictions or frameworks before considering similar approaches. In this way, Spain’s decisions on welcome bonuses or payment card rules could become reference points in regional or global debates on marketing and financial controls in gambling.
For multinational operators, aligning with Spain’s model may serve as a useful test case for future regulatory convergence. If similar themes appear in other markets, such as tighter control of incentives or greater emphasis on player identification, then practices developed for compliance in Spain can potentially be adapted elsewhere. This sort of cross market learning is becoming a central feature of the modern iGaming landscape.
At the same time, Spain’s engagement with universities and laboratories underlines the role of data and research in shaping those cross border conversations. When academic findings are shared in international forums, they can influence not just rules, but also voluntary standards and best practice frameworks adopted by industry bodies, which may move faster than formal legislation in some cases.
A congress that marks a shift in how gaming is discussed
Looking at the composition of the audience, the choice of venue and the policy messages delivered, the first International Gaming Congress in Spain appears to mark a shift from viewing gambling regulation as a technical, back office function to treating it as a central piece of social policy. Operators, regulators, academics and consumer groups were not only present in the same room, they were brought together under a theme that explicitly addressed social consequences.
For professionals in the iGaming space, this shift suggests that success will increasingly depend on the ability to navigate both commercial and social expectations. That means understanding legislative trends, but also engaging with research, participating in public forums and building internal cultures that take player wellbeing seriously, from product managers to marketing teams and compliance officers.
The event’s first day, with its full in person attendance and hundreds of online views, indicates that there is appetite for this kind of integrated conversation. As Spain refines its regulatory framework in the months and years ahead, the International Gaming Congress could become a recurring platform where new measures are explored, debated and communicated, providing valuable visibility for all stakeholders and contributing to a more mature, socially aware gaming ecosystem.
In that sense, the congress is not just a one off milestone, but a signal of where the conversation about gambling is heading. Markets that pay attention to the lessons emerging from Spain’s approach to the social impact of gaming will be better positioned to balance innovation with responsibility, which is likely to define the long term legitimacy and sustainability of the iGaming industry worldwide.
