The 2026 Gaming in Spain Conference will bring regulators, licensed operators and industry specialists together in Madrid on October 15, with the agenda placing significant attention on regulatory changes affecting Spain’s gambling market.
The event will take place at Auditorio ECIJA and will include sessions covering cross-operator deposit limits, problem gambling detection systems, future amendments to gambling rules and measures aimed at reducing the influence of unlicensed offshore operators.
Other areas scheduled for discussion include fraud prevention and anti-money laundering requirements. Speakers will also examine the regulatory status of newer gambling formats, including prediction betting and sweepstakes, alongside developments involving artificial intelligence and payment services.
The conference comes as Gaming in Spain promotes cooperation between regulators and companies operating within the licensed market while raising concerns about competition from unlicensed gambling services.
Gaming in Spain founder Willem van Oort commented: “I am extremely happy that we managed to bring together so many key stakeholders, representing the regulator, licensed operators, suppliers, and even Spain’s National Police. I think this is representative of what Gaming in Spain and, more broadly, Gaming in Europe are trying to achieve, which is facilitating the kind of discussions that help foster long-term sustainability for regulated gambling. All this, of course, against the backdrop of the growing threat of unprotected gambling due to unfair, unlicensed, and offshore competition. Reclaiming the market requires both cooperation and shared knowledge.”
Regulatory Changes Lead the Conference Agenda
The opening part of the conference will focus on regulatory developments in Spain.
Mikel Arana, Director General of the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling, will deliver the keynote address. Xavi Munoz Bellvehí, Managing Partner at ECIJA Barcelona, will provide a regulatory update and analysis.
Cross-operator deposit limits will receive a dedicated session featuring Justo Sancho, Director of Safe Gambling at the DGOJ, and Sander Hoogendoorn, Senior Consultant at Chevron Group. Camille Gonzálvez, TMT and iGaming Lawyer at ECIJA, will moderate the discussion.
Patricia Lalanda, Partner at LOYRA Abogados, will also address Melilla and its place within Spain’s regulated gambling sector.
The conference will then turn to the scale of Spain’s iGaming market and competition from offshore operators. Josh Hodgson, COO of H2 Gambling Capital, will present market data, while Blask Business Intelligence Co-Founder Dmitry Belianin will compare the popularity of games available through regulated and offshore channels.
Björn Fuchs, Chair of VNLOK, will discuss illegal gambling advertising and the role of large technology companies. Mauro De Fabritiis, Founder of MDF Partners, will examine the differences between crypto-based gambling products and regulated customer experiences.
Player protection will receive further attention through a session involving Pedro Romero, Chief of Safer Gambling Partnerships at BetBlocker, and Paula Murphy, Head of Commercial at Mindway AI. Their discussion will focus on problem gambling detection algorithms and protection measures within the Spanish market.
AML, Fraud and New Gambling Products Join Programme
The conference will also address the gambling industry’s response to regulatory reform. Jorge Hinojosa, Director General of Jdigital, will present the licensed industry’s perspective on sustainable changes to Spain’s gambling framework.
Fraud prevention will feature in a session led by David Calvete Sarasa, Chief Inspector with Spain’s National Police. Another discussion will assess the practical consequences of the European Union’s new anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regulation. Pedro López Martín-Andino, Managing Partner at MartínAndino Abogados, and Chevron Group Managing Director Jochen Biewer are scheduled to participate.
Technology and newer gambling products make up another section of the programme.
Avanti Studios co-founders Gustaf Hagman and Jonas Delin will discuss AI-powered live casino products for Spain. Gonzálvez will address emerging gambling and betting formats, while iGaming.com CEO Andreas Ditsche will speak about the use of artificial intelligence in affiliate marketing.
Adyen Country Manager for Spain and Portugal Juan Jose Llorente will cover compliant payment solutions for iGaming businesses.
The programme will also include a LatAm market update, although a speaker for that session has yet to be announced. A separate breakout session led by MDF Partners’ Mario Chamorro will examine gambling promotions in Spain and differences in their performance.
Webinar to Preview Spanish Market Issues
Ahead of the Madrid conference, Gaming in Spain will hold a free webinar on September 15 at 15:30 CET.
The online session will provide an advance discussion of several subjects scheduled to appear at the October event. Munoz Bellvehí will address cross-operator deposit limits and possible future amendments to Spain’s Gambling Act.
Gonzálvez will discuss implementation of the DGOJ’s new problem gambling detection algorithm as well as regulatory developments affecting emerging gambling and betting products.
Belianin will examine current Spanish player interest in offshore prediction betting products, while De Fabritiis will compare customer experiences available through licensed and offshore gambling services.
Registration has opened for both the webinar and the October 15 conference.
Gaming in Spain operates as a B2B community for professionals working in iGaming and related service industries. Van Oort founded the organisation following the creation of the Gaming in Holland and Gaming in Germany communities.
Source:
2026 Gaming in Spain Conference press release, Gaming in Spain, September 9, 2026
