Spain’s gambling regulator, the Directorate General for Gambling Regulation (DGOJ), has said that prediction markets in Spain offering products classed as gambling under Spanish law need a Spanish licence, and that it is acting to block access to unlicensed platforms from Spain.
Mikel Arana, Director General of Gambling Regulation, set out the position on a panel titled “Regulatory Visions on Prediction Markets” at MERGE Madrid 2026, a crypto, blockchain and Web3 conference, the DGOJ said in a statement on 30 October 2026.
DGOJ position on prediction markets
According to the DGOJ, the legal framework for a prediction market depends on the products it offers and on the rules in force in each jurisdiction. Where a platform’s products count as gambling under Spanish law, the operator must hold the corresponding licence before serving Spanish customers.
Prediction markets in that category without authorisation cannot legally offer their services in Spain, Arana told the panel. The regulator said measures are under way to stop users in Spain from reaching the platforms concerned. The statement did not name any platform.
Earlier action against Kalshi and Polymarket
The comments follow the DGOJ’s move in May to block Kalshi and Polymarket in Spain as part of its licensing enforcement. Spain’s online gambling licences are issued by the DGOJ under Law 13/2011 on the regulation of gambling.
The DGOJ sits within the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030. It said its supervision will keep focusing on making sure operators running gambling activity in Spain meet the licensing requirements, including on products that emerge from digital and crypto markets.
Prediction markets across Europe
National approaches still differ. Malta has looked at a framework for prediction markets, while Gibraltar has courted the sector as other European regulators hold back.
Source: Directorate General for Gambling Regulation (DGOJ)
