The 1am to 5am television window still stands. The online and social media restrictions were annulled by the Supreme Court in April 2024. Many guides still describe the old regime.
Between 1am and 5am. Royal Decree 958/2020 on commercial communications for gambling activities was published in the Official State Gazette, number 291, on 4 November 2020. Article 18.1 restricts commercial communications by gambling operators in audiovisual media services to that window. Articles 19 to 22 apply the same window to live sport, horse racing and specific game types, and article 25.2 extends it to video sharing platforms.
That window is still in force. What changed is elsewhere. In April 2024 the Supreme Court annulled several other provisions of the same decree.
Sentencia 527/2024 of 2 April 2024, from the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the Supreme Court, struck down specific articles of Royal Decree 958/2020. The appeal was brought by the Asociacion Espanola de Juego Digital, JDigital. The annulled provisions are article 13.1, article 13.3, article 15, article 23.1, article 25.3, article 26.2 and article 26.3. Each now reads as annulled in the consolidated text.
Article 23.1 was the general prohibition on gambling advertising on information society services. Article 26.2 was the rule confining social media advertising to followers of official accounts, people who had shown active interest, and customers already registered with the operator. Article 26.3 restricted which social accounts and channels could carry gambling advertising.
Digital acquisition channels are open again. Anyone relying on a guide written before April 2024 will have the online position wrong.
Article 15, which prohibited using persons or characters of public relevance or notoriety, was also annulled in full. Guides that still list that ban as current, including guides written after the ruling, are wrong on that point too.
The 1am to 5am window for audiovisual media services, including television and radio, and for video sharing platforms.
Sponsorship restrictions in article 12. Article 12.4 prohibits sponsorship on shirts or sports kit. Article 12.3 prohibits naming a stadium or venue after an operator.
Article 13.2, which prohibits promotional activity directed at customers the operator has flagged as showing risky gambling behaviour. The wider promotional restrictions that sat in article 13.1 and article 13.3 were annulled.
Enforcement sits with the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego. Where the advertiser is an audiovisual media service provider, the DGOJ refers the matter to the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia, which opens the sanctioning procedure.
Royal Decree 958/2020 is published on the Official State Gazette site at boe.es, and the DGOJ publishes its resolutions on ordenacionjuego.es.
Because provisions have been annulled in part, the consolidated text matters more than any summary. The consolidated text marks each annulled paragraph, so it is the fastest way to see what survives.
This page states the position as at 29 August 2026 and links the primary sources below.
| Rule | Under RD 958/2020 | After April 2024 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TV and radio advertising | 1am to 5am only | Unchanged | In force |
| Video sharing platforms | 1am to 5am only | Unchanged | In force |
| Online and social acquisition | Existing customers only | Annulled, articles 23.1, 26.2 and 26.3 | No longer applies |
| Shirt and equipment sponsorship | Prohibited, article 12.4 | Unchanged | In force |
| Public figures in advertising | Prohibited under article 15 | Annulled | No longer applies |
The Supreme Court annulled several provisions of Royal Decree 958/2020 in April 2024. Verify the consolidated text before relying on any summary.
Between 1am and 5am. Article 18.1 of Royal Decree 958/2020 limits commercial communications by gambling operators in audiovisual media services to that window, and the rule was not affected by the 2024 ruling.
No. It annulled articles 13.1, 13.3, 15, 23.1, 25.3, 26.2 and 26.3 of Royal Decree 958/2020. The 1am to 5am window, the sponsorship restrictions in article 12 and the ban on promotions aimed at risk-flagged customers in article 13.2 all remain in force.
The Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego supervises gambling operators. Where the advertiser is an audiovisual media service provider, the DGOJ refers the matter to the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia, which runs the sanctioning procedure.
Verified against 5 primary sources. Last reviewed August 29, 2026.