Online Casinos with Bitcoin in Spain: Everything You Need to Know About Taxes
Online gambling with cryptocurrencies has grown exponentially. Platforms like Stake, Rollbit, Wild.io, or BC.Game accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT for playing slots, poker, roulette, or sports betting. However, the Spanish tax authorities have clear and unfavorable rules regarding gambling winnings.
Regulatory Framework for Online Gambling in Spain
The Law 13/2011 on Gambling Regulation governs online gambling in Spain. To operate legally in Spain, a casino must have a license from the DGOJ (Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego).
Many crypto casinos do not have a Spanish license → playing on these platforms can entail:
- Legal risk for the player (less than for the operator).
- Tax obligations nonetheless: Spanish tax law taxes winnings regardless of whether the casino is legal or illegal, domestic or foreign.
How Gambling Winnings Are Taxed
Tax Classification
Gambling winnings (casino, slots, sports betting) are considered capital gains to be included in the general taxable base (Art. 33 LIRPF), not in the savings base.
This means:
- Tax rate: up to 47% (state + regional rate) in the highest brackets.
- They do not benefit from the reduced rate of the savings base (19%-28%).
Taxable Base of the Winnings
- Winnings received in crypto → valued at the market price in EUR at the time of receipt.
- If you win 1 BTC in a casino when BTC is worth €100,000 → capital gain: €100,000.
- When you sell that BTC for €120,000 → additional capital gain of €20,000 (savings base).
Gambling Losses
Gambling losses are deductible as a capital loss in the general base:
- They can only offset other capital gains in the general base.
- They cannot offset general base gains derived from work, income, or economic activities.
- They cannot offset capital gains in the savings base (e.g., sale of BTC, funds).
Net Example:
- Annual gambling winnings: €10,000
- Annual gambling losses: €7,000
- Net gambling gain: €3,000 → general base
Using Crypto as Gambling Currency: Potential Double Taxation
When you deposit Bitcoin in a casino:
- Deposit: This is considered a "transfer" of Bitcoin (you transfer the Bitcoin to the casino). If the BTC had a latent capital gain, a capital gain is triggered at that moment.
- Example: You bought 1 BTC for €30,000, deposit it when it’s worth €80,000 → capital gain of €50,000 in the savings base.
- Winnings: The net winnings are the gambling gain → general base.
- Withdrawal: If the casino returns crypto to you and you sell it later at a higher price → additional capital gain in the savings base.
The conclusion: Using BTC with latent capital gains for gambling triggers taxation at the moment of deposit, even without winning in the game.
To avoid this double taxation, some players use USDT or USDC (stablecoins) to deposit in casinos, as the transfer of USDC without price variation does not generate significant capital gains.
Spanish-Licensed Casinos: 20% Withholding
Casinos licensed in Spain are required to withhold 20% of winnings exceeding €300 in tournaments and contests (not always in regular gaming sessions). This withholding is deducted from the IRPF liability.
For crypto casinos without a Spanish license (the majority), there is no withholding → the taxpayer must voluntarily include all net winnings in their income tax return.
Can the Tax Agency Detect Crypto Casino Winnings?
- Crypto casinos without a Spanish license rarely report to the AEAT.
- However, crypto movements on the blockchain are traceable.
- Exchanges with KYC (Binance, Coinbase, Kraken) licensed in Spain must report under Modelo 172.
- If you receive large sums of crypto from a casino address and then sell them on a regulated exchange → this movement could attract attention.
Tax Strategy for Crypto Gamblers
- Keep detailed records of each deposit (acquisition cost of deposited crypto), winnings received, and losses.
- Use stablecoins to deposit and withdraw from the casino (minimize the impact of capital gains from deposits/withdrawals).
- Offset gambling losses with winnings from the same year within the general base.
- Declare voluntarily: voluntary regularization incurs smaller penalties than an audit.
Updated: April 2026 | Tax Year: 2025