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To respond effectively to the problem of youth gambling, Spain takes innovative legislative actions. The Comisión para el Estudio de los Problemas de las Adicciones has passed three legislative proposals, which are not binding and deal with the issues of improving prevention, education, and treatment.
The initiative was put forward by Spanish senator Elena Castillo López and referred to the “regulatory limbo” in the field caused by the expiry of Spain’s National Strategy on Addictions and its Action Plan.
Focus on Prevention and Adolescent Protection
The most popular among them proposal got 34 votes for and 1 abstaining vote. It suggests strengthening preventive measures, along with treatment and rehabilitation programs, especially among adolescents aged 14-18 years.
The importance of the issue and its urgency is proven by the findings of the Plan Nacional sobre Drogas. According to the survey carried out among 35,000 students, gambling activities among children and adolescents keep growing. Thus, in 2025, there were 13% of minors participating in online gambling, and 20.9%, in land-based gambling.
Coordination of the efforts made by families, educational institutions, medical organizations, social services, and scientific institutions will be required to solve the issue.
Immediate Rewards and Lack of Adequate Access Control
The second legislative proposal has been initiated by the Vox parliamentary group. It has received 20 votes for and 15 against. The proposal deals with the dangers of games involving immediate rewards.
The need to conduct a full-scale research concerning their impact on youth has been identified. Moreover, the proposal stresses the lack of access control measures, which enables minors to take part in these kinds of activities.
The main objective of the legislative proposal is to obtain scientific evidence, which could be useful for making future regulations.
Preventive Financial Education
Another proposal has been made by the Senator Rafael Rodríguez Villarino. It was approved with 33 votes for and 2 against. The suggestion aims to make young people aware of all the possible dangers of online gambling, especially among the age group 14-18.
The initiative also proposes conducting studies of various factors influencing adolescents’ decision-making, including exposure to the Internet, pressure from advertising, and gambling sites’ approaches to recruiting users.
Furthermore, it involves supporting initiatives aimed at working with families.
Rebuilding the National Gambling Strategy of the Country
Thus, through these legislative actions, Spain attempts to rebuild its national gambling policy after the expiry of its strategy.
With the help of legislative actions and measures, prevention, and scientific research, authorities attempt to protect minors and reduce the risks of gambling.
Overall, Spain makes efforts to face the issue of youth gambling through legislation. Even though the legislative proposals are not binding, the direction of future policies is quite clear.
Source: SBC Noticias
