Spain’s gambling authority, the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ), has officially opened applications for its 2025 research grant programme aimed at tackling gambling-related harm.
Announced in the Official State Gazette on May 17, the initiative allocates €1.05 million (approximately $1.18 million) to fund projects that explore ways to prevent and mitigate the negative effects of gambling. The programme targets studies addressing gambling addiction, psychological and social consequences, and related risk factors.
Eligible applicants include public and private research bodies, as well as non-profit organisations with formal collaboration agreements. Submissions are open until June 18, 2025, and funded projects must be completed by June 30, 2026.
Researchers can apply under six designated priority areas. These include early detection of problem gambling, analysis of gambling’s social and psychological effects, gender-specific research, and studies on the intersection between gambling and video gaming. Additionally, the programme encourages analysis of how gambling products—such as betting, poker, and lotteries—are structurally designed to influence behaviour.
The grant scheme is a key component of Spain’s broader responsible gambling policy, which is guided by the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030. The legal foundation for the grant call is set out in Regulatory Order CSM/472/2022.
The announcement follows a recent enforcement crackdown by the DGOJ, which in May imposed €77.4 million in penalties against 14 illegal gambling operators. These sanctions included several €5 million fines and one €10 million penalty, along with two-year bans from operating in the Spanish market.
The DGOJ continues to emphasise consumer protection and regulatory compliance as core pillars of its oversight strategy. Spain has also been strengthening international cooperation, with the DGOJ participating in recent forums hosted by the UK Gambling Commission. Earlier this year, the agency held its first national meeting focused on anti-money laundering (AML) within the gambling sector.
Full details of the 2025 grant programme, including eligibility requirements and application procedures, are available on the DGOJ’s official website and the National Subsidy Database.
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