The issue of underage gambling in Spain is moving further into the spotlight as new figures and ministerial warnings expose both the scale of the problem and the shortcomings in how it is being addressed. According to the ESTUDES 2023 survey from the Spanish National Plan on Drugs, nearly 1 in 5 minors (19.8%) admits to having gambled with money at least once.
Prevalence and patterns among minors
The survey highlights that offline gambling (16.6%) is still more common than online gambling (9.2%). Age plays a clear role: participation rises from 13% at age 14 to almost 20% by age 17. Gender differences are stark, with 26.8% of boys reporting gambling compared to 12.6% of girls.
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These figures suggest not only widespread exposure but also the early normalisation of gambling behaviour, with lotteries and football pools still acting as a socially accepted gateway.
Frequency, spending and risks
While many minors spend modest amounts — less than €6 or between €6 and €30 — a worrying minority report expenditures exceeding €300, often linked to daily or weekly gambling. Research shows that frequency and spending are the strongest predictors of risk, creating fertile ground for problematic behaviour.
The data confirm that 3.7% of minors — around 63,000 young people — already show signs of problematic gambling. Boys are almost three times more affected (5.5%) than girls (1.9%).
Lotteries: the missing piece
In a recent statement, the Spanish Ministry of Consumer Affairs (Consumo) criticised the lack of transparency in reporting and the failure to address lotteries as part of the risk matrix. While official discourse often centres on online betting and sports wagering, lotteries remain the blind spot: widely accessible, culturally normalised, and, crucially, often the first contact that school-aged populations have with gambling.
Consumer authorities argue that excluding lotteries from the debate creates a distorted picture, underestimating the risks faced by the school population. This omission, critics warn, weakens the effectiveness of prevention policies and overlooks one of the structural entry points into gambling behaviour.
Policy vacuum and urgent need for reform
The evidence points to a dual challenge: rising prevalence among minors, and reporting practices that sidestep key categories of play. Experts stress that any meaningful policy response must:
- Acknowledge all forms of gambling, including lotteries, instant games, and bingo.
- Increase transparency in official reporting to provide a full picture of youth exposure.
- Adapt prevention campaigns to address both the digital and the traditional gambling environment.
Without such reforms, Spain risks underestimating the true scope of underage gambling, leaving vulnerable groups exposed to an avoidable public health risk.
