Is online poker legal in Spain?

Yes, online poker is legal in Spain under the 2011 Spanish Gaming Act , which established a national licensing system for online gambling.

Which online poker platforms are available in Spain?

All major online poker platforms, such as PokerStars and partypoker , are available in Spain. These operators hold valid licenses from the DGOJ and meet the legal and tax requirements set by Spanish authorities.

Can Spanish players compete with players from other countries?

Yes, under the European liquidity deal signed in 2017 , Spanish players can compete with players from Italy , Portugal , and France . This agreement allows online poker operators to share player pools across these countries, enhancing game variety and prize pools.

Is live poker legal in Spain?

Yes, live poker is legal in Spain. Gambling, including poker, became legal in 1977 after the end of the Franco regime. Each of the 17 autonomous regions in Spain has the authority to regulate and license land-based gambling venues, which includes poker rooms and casinos.

Where can I play live poker in Spain?

Some of the most prominent live poker venues in Spain include: Casino Barcelona : A major venue for European Poker Tour (EPT) events, as well as regular cash games and tournaments. NLHE stakes range from €1/€3 to €50/€100 , and there are also PLO and Dealers Choice tables. Casino Gran Madrid Torrelodones : The largest casino in Madrid, offering Hold’em and PLO cash tables with stakes ranging from €1/€2 to €20/€50 . They also host daily tournaments, with buy-ins ranging from €35 to €1,100 .

Are there major poker tournaments in Spain?

Yes, Spain hosts some of the biggest international poker tournaments. The European Poker Tour (EPT) has a regular stop in Barcelona , and Casino Barcelona also hosts events like the WSOP Circuit and partypoker LIVE tournaments. These events attract top players from around the world.

Discover Spain's Thriving Poker Scene and Laws

Spain has a significant role in the world of international poker.

The European Poker Tour’s stop in Barcelona is always a highly anticipated event on the international poker schedule. It usually draws the biggest names which, in turn, draws significant media attention.

Also, Spain was one of the four nations – along with France, Portugal and Italy – who signed the European poker liquidity deal. This has been prominent industry news for years – the four countries agreed to open up their segregated national markets and share their player pools.

Gambling is popular in Spain, especially sports betting. The soccer loving nation’s betting market is even bigger than the UK’s. Poker is also commonly played. According to the World Casino Directory website, there are 45 operating poker rooms in Spain. It may not sound as many, but you can compare that, for example, to the neighboring Portugal, where that number is 5…

Famous Spanish Poker Players

Adrián Mateos has four WSOP gold bracelets. He won the €10,450 WSOP Europe Main Event for €1 million in 2013; the $1,500 Summer Solstice No Limit Hold’em event for $409,171 in 2016; the $10,000 No Limit Hold’em Heads-Up event for $335,656 the next year; and the $250,000 Super High Roller No Limit Hold’em event for $3.265 million in 2021.

Under the screen name “Amadi_017”, Mateos has seen some success in the online MTT scene on PokerStars. In 2017, for example, he won a $2,100 SCOOP (Spring Championship of Online Poker) 6-max event for $234,030.

David Lopez has cashed for over $3.15 million total playing MTT’s on both PokerStars and partypoker. His PS alias is “davaman”, while his partypoker screen name is “Sr.Penes”.

Sergio Aido has over $12.7 million in live tournament earnings. He won the €100,000 EPT Super High Roller for €1.589 million in 2019 in Monte Carlo. He beat a fellow Spaniard, Jesús Cortes, heads-up for that title.

Online Poker in Spain

Online Poker Legislation in Spain

The 2011 Spanish Gaming Act set up a nationwide licencing system. On the plus side, this means online poker is legal everywhere in the country; on the downside, obtaining a licence in Spain is hard. Online gambling sites also pay a 15% tax on their gross game returns.

However, all the major poker rooms are available – PokerStars, partypoker, etc. And, with the liquidity deal, players are now allowed to compete with other players from Italian, Portuguese, and French locations.

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Live Poker in Spain

Live Poker Legislation in Spain

Gambling became legal in Spain a few years after the Franco regime ended, in 1977. Then, all 17 autonomous regions got the right to set up their own licencing and regulatory framework. The 2011 Spanish Gaming Act was the first to introduce standardized nationwide rules, but those mostly pertain to online gambling. Land-based gambling is still under the control of regional gaming authorities.

Live Poker Venues in Spain

One of the biggest tournament series in the world, the European Poker Tour makes a stop in Barcelona – almost – every year. The venue for the EPT events is usually Casino Barcelona.

There, the NLHE cash stakes start at €1/€3 and go up to €50/€100. However, if you rent the room out for a private game you can make the blinds as big as €1,000/€2,000! They also offer PLO (from €5/€10 to €50/€100) and Dealers Choice (€2/€2 and €5/€5) cash games to their guests. Please note that the only games you can pick at a Dealers Choice table are Hold’em and Omaha.

They usually have 2-3 tournaments per day on their schedule. Those are sometimes part of some of the biggest tournament series – aside from the aforementioned EPT, the WSOP Circuit, partypoker LIVE also host events in the casino.

The biggest casino in Madrid is Casino Gran Madrid Torrelodones. There, you can find Hold’em cash tables with stakes ranging from €1/€2 to €20/€50, and PLO cash tables (from €2/€2 to €20/€50). They put on one tournament per day. The smallest event on their calendar is €35 buy-in, while the largest is €1,100.