TLDR
- Spain’s DGOJ is offering €950,620 in competitive grants to fund research on gambling harm, prevention and risks
- Universities, health institutions and non-profits can apply for projects running through June 2027
- Research must cover one of six themes including early detection of problem gambling, links between video games and gambling, and gender impacts
- The DGOJ also opened a public consultation on banning influencers and celebrities from gambling ads
- New online gambling accounts in Spain dropped 55% between 2020 and 2023 following earlier ad restrictions
Spain’s gambling regulator has committed nearly €1 million to study the harms caused by gambling. The Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling, known as the DGOJ, published the call for proposals on May 20 in Spain’s official government bulletin.
The competitive grant programme has a total budget of €950,620. It will fund research focused on the prevention, effects and risks tied to gambling activities.
Who Can Apply and What the Research Must Cover
The funding is open to a wide range of institutions. Public and private universities, health institutions, non-profit organisations and development centres are all eligible to apply.
Applicants must show they have an established track record in gambling-related research. Projects must start no earlier than January 1, 2026 and wrap up by June 30, 2027.
The DGOJ has outlined six research themes that proposals must address. These include the early detection of risky gambling behaviours and the individual, family or societal harm linked to gambling.
Other themes cover the development of tools to reduce gambling’s negative consequences. The connection between the video game industry and gambling is also a priority area.
The final two themes focus on the structural characteristics of gambling businesses and the gender-related impacts of problem gambling. The government has stressed the need for gender-sensitive research, noting that gambling harms can affect different demographic groups in different ways.
The DGOJ has been placing more focus on gambling harm research in recent years. Younger demographics and the overlap between gaming and gambling mechanics have been key concerns.
In March, the DGOJ released its Safe Gambling Programme covering 2026 to 2030. That programme raised concerns about loot boxes, social casino products and other hybrid gaming features that could normalise gambling among minors and young adults.
New Push to Restrict Gambling Advertising
The research fund announcement came just days after another major move by the DGOJ. The regulator opened a public consultation on proposed changes to the Gambling Regulation Act.
One of the central proposals would tighten rules around the use of celebrities and influencers in gambling ads. Under the proposed changes, gambling advertising could only appear if a consumer directly searches for a betting brand online.
Spain has a history of cracking down on gambling advertising. A Royal Decree in 2020 banned gambling sponsorship deals and placed heavy restrictions on TV and radio ads, limiting them to a window between 1am and 5am.
That decree originally banned famous people and influencers from appearing in gambling ads. However, that specific measure was overturned in April 2024.
The DGOJ now appears to be revisiting that policy through the proposed legislative amendments. The public consultation gives stakeholders a chance to weigh in before any changes are finalised.
Research published last summer showed that Spain’s earlier advertising restrictions had a measurable effect. New online gambling accounts dropped by more than half after the 2020 Royal Decree took effect.
In 2020, there were 3.01 million new online gambling accounts registered in Spain. By 2023, that number had fallen to 1.35 million, a decline of 55%.
The drop suggests that limiting gambling advertising can reduce the number of people signing up to gamble online. The DGOJ’s latest moves indicate the regulator is continuing to push in that direction.
