The Basque Country has seen a dramatic decline in the number of betting venues, slashing locations by nearly 40% over the past five years, according to the latest figures from the Basque Gambling Observatory.
Back in 2020, there were 73 active betting outlets across Euskadi. By 2025, that number has dropped to just 52. The aggressive reduction is part of sweeping regulations under the Basque Government’s new General Gambling Regulation, which limits the number of establishments and enforces minimum distance requirements between gambling sites and schools.
Authorities have also implemented a three-year moratorium on new gaming machine licenses in hospitality venues to curb proliferation.
Despite the closure of venues, concerns are mounting: the Basque Gambling Observatory estimates that 28,000 people in Euskadi struggle with gambling problems, and at least 2,000 individuals suffer from severe addiction. Recent data show that 92.8% of the adult population has participated in gambling at least once, with 85.8% gambling in the past year, up from 70.5% in 2020.
Younger demographics are increasingly drawn to online gambling, amplifying fears that venue closures alone may not be enough to counter rising addiction rates. The Basque Government has pledged to intensify preventative education programs, tighten advertising regulations, and further monitor the evolution of both physical and online gambling practices to protect vulnerable populations.
