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Is padel betting legal in Spain? — DGOJ, licensing and taxes

Padel betting is legal in Spain through DGOJ-licensed operators. Here's how the framework works, what to look for in a licence, and why international .com sites are not the same as the .es operators.

Last updated: 14 mayo 2026

Padel is treated like any other sport for betting purposes in Spain. The legal question is not about the sport — it's about the operator.

Spain's online sports betting market is regulated by the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), a department of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. Only operators with an active DGOJ licence can legally accept bets from residents in Spain. Everything else — offshore sportsbooks, .com versions of international brands, white-label sites — falls outside the regulator's protection.

What the DGOJ does

The DGOJ issues two licence types relevant to padel betting:

General licence (Licencia General) — the operator is approved to run a Spanish-facing gambling business.
Singular licence (Licencia Singular) — issued per product: sportsbook, casino, poker, bingo. A sportsbook needs a singular "Apuestas Deportivas" licence on top of the general one.

Every operator we list on this site holds both — a general DGOJ licence and the sportsbook singular licence. The licence numbers are published on each operator's review page (e.g. Sportium's licence appears on our Sportium review) and you can verify them directly on ordenacionjuego.es.

Why bet365, William Hill and Betfair .com don't operate in Spain

Most users searching "bet365 pádel" or "William Hill apuestas pádel" are landing on the international .com domains — which are not licensed by the DGOJ. The reasons are practical:

The DGOJ moratorium. New sportsbook singular licences have been essentially suspended since 2011, with a brief reopening in 2017–18 that mostly favoured operators already in the Spanish market. Global brands that didn't get in then have no realistic path to a .es domain today.
No padel on the international .com. Even if you can technically reach bet365.com from outside Spain, padel is not a sport these global operators carry on their main sportsbooks. The market is served almost entirely by Spanish-licensed operators — Sportium, Codere, Betway, Winamax, Retabet and Kirolbet.
Legal exposure. Using an unlicensed operator from Spain is a grey-zone activity — there's no DGOJ recourse if the operator refuses to pay out, freezes your account or goes bankrupt. The regulator can also block payments to unlicensed sites.

Age, identity, KYC

The minimum age for any kind of online gambling in Spain is 18. All DGOJ operators perform full KYC verification before allowing withdrawals — typically DNI / passport, a recent proof of address (utility bill or bank statement) and sometimes a selfie holding the document. The first withdrawal can take up to 72 hours longer than subsequent ones because of this process.

Self-exclusion is handled centrally through the Registro General de Interdicciones de Acceso al Juego (RGIAJ), run by the DGOJ. Once you register, the block applies across every licensed operator in Spain at once — you can't sign up for a new account or place a bet at any of them until you remove yourself.

Taxation of winnings

Gambling winnings in Spain are reported as ganancias patrimoniales on your annual IRPF (personal income tax) return. The headline points:

You declare net winnings — wagers can be deducted from prizes for the same operator and the same tax year. Losses across different operators don't net out.
The marginal rate depends on your total taxable base; gambling income stacks on top of salary and other ganancias. As a guide, modest gambling profits fall in the 19–23 % band; larger amounts push into higher brackets.
Operators don't withhold tax. The full responsibility for reporting sits with you — keep records of deposits, withdrawals and per-bet results.

This is general information, not tax advice. For non-trivial amounts, talk to an asesor fiscal who has handled gambling income before.

Responsible gambling

Every DGOJ operator is required to offer self-management tools: deposit limits, loss limits, time-out periods and a one-click self-exclusion via RGIAJ. See our responsible gambling page for the full set of resources, including FEJAR and Jugar Bien.

Padel betting is supposed to be entertainment. If it stops being that, use the tools — they exist for exactly this reason.

Frequently asked questions

Is padel betting legal in Spain?

Yes, as long as you bet through an operator with an active DGOJ (Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego) licence. Padel is treated like any other sport for betting purposes — the legal question is about the operator, not the sport.

Which bookmakers are DGOJ-licensed for padel betting?

Six DGOJ-licensed operators cover padel in Spain: Sportium, Codere, Betway, Winamax, Retabet and Kirolbet. Each publishes its licence number on its review page; you can verify it on ordenacionjuego.es. Global brands like bet365, William Hill, Betfair or Unibet don't operate in Spain through their international .com domains and don't cover padel.

Why doesn't bet365.com work from Spain?

Because the .com version of bet365 has no DGOJ licence, and new singular sportsbook licences have been essentially suspended since 2011. Even if you could technically access it, bet365 doesn't carry padel on its main sportsbook. To bet on padel from Spain you need a DGOJ-licensed operator.

How do I verify that an operator has a DGOJ licence?

Visit the public register of authorised operators at ordenacionjuego.es. Search by operator name and check that it has an active singular licence for 'Apuestas Deportivas' (sports betting). Every operator listed on padelbets.eu holds an active licence.

What is the minimum age for padel betting in Spain?

18 years. All DGOJ operators verify age through KYC (DNI or passport) before allowing any withdrawal. Betting as a minor is illegal and operators are required to report it.

How are gambling winnings taxed in Spain?

Gambling winnings are reported as 'ganancias patrimoniales' on the annual IRPF (personal income tax) return. You declare the net result (winnings minus stakes) per operator and per tax year — losses across different operators don't offset each other. Operators don't withhold tax: the responsibility to report sits entirely with the bettor. For non-trivial amounts, talk to a tax advisor.

What is RGIAJ and how does self-exclusion work?

RGIAJ (Registro General de Interdicciones de Acceso al Juego) is the centralised self-exclusion register run by the DGOJ. Once you sign up, the block applies across every licensed operator in Spain simultaneously — you can't open a new account or place a bet anywhere until you remove yourself. It's the most effective tool if betting stops being entertainment.

How long does KYC verification take for the first withdrawal?

Up to 72 hours extra on top of the chosen method's processing time. Verification requires a DNI or passport, proof of address (recent utility bill or bank statement) and sometimes a selfie holding the document. It's a one-time process per account — subsequent withdrawals are immediate after the request.