Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030 has announced nearly €951,000 in grants to support research into gambling-related disorders and risks.
The initiative is structured around six research areas, including early detection of risky behaviour, detailed analysis of harm in personal, emotional and financial contexts, as well as the increasing overlap between the video gaming and gambling sectors.
The call for proposals, promoted through the regulator DGOJ, corresponds to the 2026 financial year and is aimed at both public and private research centers.
A key requirement for the grant is that applicants must not have any ties to gambling operators within their leadership or decision-making structures.
The grants will be awarded on a competitive basis. The call, published in the Official State Gazette, will remain open until June 22, and applications must be submitted through the DGOJ electronic headquarters.
The selected projects must be implemented before June 30, 2027, according to the call’s terms.
Other Spanish policies target advertising practices and digital gambling exposure
The Ministry also recently launched a public consultation on regulations that would tighten gambling advertising rules.
It aims to regulate the use of celebrities and influencers in gambling advertising, customer acquisition promotions, as well as organic gambling advertising on search engines.
The proposal seeks to ensure that gambling advertising pages only appear in search results when users are actively searching for betting-related content.
Earlier, the regulator DGOJ unveiled a Safe Gambling Programme for 2026 – 2030.
Programme’s measures target youth protection, research on emerging technologies like AI and strengthened collaboration with treatment providers.
European countries increase investment in responsible gambling initiatives and other gambling-related issues
Responsible gambling funding along with funding tackling other gambling related issues is increasingly common across Europe, although levels vary significantly between jurisdictions. Spain’s case highlights that nearly €1m, while notable, remains modest compared with other markets.
For example, in April it was announced that under the “Conscious and Free” programme Romania’s gaming regulator ONJN would provide €5m in non-refundable subsidies for initiatives focused on preventing and treating compulsive gambling. However, this includes initiatives beyond research. It should also be noted that the future of this programme is uncertain do to Romania’s political instability.
In the UK, during the first year of implementing its new Gambling Levy Programme, the Government announced that funding reached nearly £120m ($160.6m), split across gambling-related harm research, prevention and treatment initiatives.
Furhermore, the UK Gambling Commission was given £26m to cover its responsibilities, with a focus on tackling the black market. However, some stakeholders have still considered this level of funding insufficient. It should be noted that this refers to funding for the regulator itself, which covers a broad range of responsibilities.
DGOJ’s recent Safe Gambling Programme reveals that a standardised mechanism to detect risky online gambling behaviour will be developed
