Spain Fines Reality TV Website for Promoting Illegal Gambling Sites

Spain's DGOJ has fined reality TV platform Zona Gemelos €10,000 for using affiliate links and social media to promote illegal casinos and operators without a licence.

Reality TV streaming site, Zona Gemelos, recently received a fine of €10,000 from the Directorate General for Gambling Regulation (DGOJ) for affiliate links promoting unlicensed operators.

As Spain is notorious for its strict approach towards gambling regulation, one can't help but wonder how this impacts the industry locally and internationally.

Illegal promoting

Zona Gemelos is a Spanish reality game show. It’s become popular online, particularly on YouTube, for shows like The Twins’ House and The Twins’ Prison.

According to the DGOJ, the website promoted illegal casinos and operators that hold no Spanish licence via affiliate links and social sites like Instagram, Kick, X, and Discord.

The DGOJ has classified it as a serious infraction in breach of Law 13/2011 on Gambling Regulation, which led to the €10,000 fine.

They managed to get the fine down to €6,000 by accepting responsibility, paying early, and removing the offending content quickly.

Spain's enforcement record

Enforcement is not focused on one particular platform, and this case is just one small part of a much larger enforcement push. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, fines of over €10.2 million have been issued to 9 companies.

Some of the biggest cases were Perfect Storm B.V. and Rossobash SRL. These companies were fined €5 million each for operating without local licensing. Six other operators with local licences received fines for minor breaches of Article 40 of Law 13/2011.

The list has grown since the 221 sanctions were published in July 2021. Overall, there’s been a total of €506 million in fines.

It all goes to show that Spain is committed to full transparency and prevention. Sanctions are now also publicly listed on the DGOJ website.

Why does it matter?

It might seem like excessive force, but the reality is that the industry is trying to curb and prevent gambling interaction from younger audiences. Not to mention the use of affiliate links tends to blur the lines between entertainment and gambling promotion.

Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs has made clear it intends to extend its oversight to digital platforms, not just licensed Spanish casinos.

Recently, Spain's gambling regulator launched a new safer gambling programme. Secretary General for Consumer Affairs and Gambling, Andrés Barragán, has also signalled that centralised responsible gambling tools are in the works under the programme and new restrictions will be introduced later in the year.

Industry impact

Currently, there’s a lot of pressure on the industry in terms of responsible gambling. Spain’s actions just might be an example for other regulated regions.

As for media platforms, this is a wake-up call to vet advertising and affiliate partnerships if they don’t want to risk any regulatory breaches. While small fines might be trivial for larger operators, they can do a great deal of damage to a reputation and deter other advertisers.

Particularly in this case, where it’s no longer possible to simply ignore the Spanish gambling regulations, as it risks increased penalties and the loss of opportunities to operate within the region.

With the way things are currently going, Spain's enforcement approach is increasingly the model other European regulators are studying.

This is a clear warning and lesson in what will happen if any affiliate links or promotional content are tied to unlicensed gambling operators. As a result, vetting any partnerships has now become a compliance requirement.

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By Deni

Verified Casino Expert

Expertise: Casino Content Writing, Journalism & (PR), Gambling Regulations, Dutch & German Gambling Markets

Hi, I'm Deni! I'm a research obsessive with a passion for gambling regulations, market trends, and casino news. I dig deep into every topic I cover - so every article, review, or guide I write is built on solid research and real detail.

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Last updated: May 25, 2026

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Spain fines reality TV website for promoting illegal gambling sites

Illegal promoting

Spain's enforcement record

Why does it matter?