The Numbers Behind the Growth
The economic case for Ceuta as an iGaming hub is well established at this point. Between 2018 and 2023, billing by Sector companies based in the city grew by 630%, underpinned by a fiscal regime that levies activity tax at 10%, compared to 20% in the rest of Spain.
Enrique Reyes, manager of Tributary Services, argues the real competitive advantage extends beyond tax rates to legal certainty — positioning Ceuta favourably against alternatives such as Malta or Gibraltar. The social dimension, he notes, is equally tangible.
That spending, he argues, flows directly into local retail and hospitality — making online gaming a structural pillar of the local economy, not merely a headline fiscal number.
Beyond the Tax Advantage
Наведена таблиця демонструє ключові фіскальні та економічні показники iGaming-сектору Сеути, що підкреслюють зростання юрисдикції за останні роки.
450+
Participants at Bet On Ceuta (triple original capacity)
630%
Billing growth by Ceuta-based iGaming companies (2018 – 2023)
10%
Activity tax rate in Ceuta
20%
Activity tax rate in mainland Spain
1,200
Jobs created by iGaming sector in Ceuta
€1,800,000
Estimated net consumer spending generated by those jobs
The more consequential message at Bet On Ceuta this year comes from Kissy Chandiramani, Councillor for Treasury, Economic Transition and Digital Transformation, who is reframing the city's ambitions in explicitly broader terms.
“What this is about is leveraging the momentum of online gaming to open new doors.”
— Kissy Chandiramani, Councillor for Treasury, Economic Transition and Digital Transformation
The pivot encompasses blockchain, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity — with online gaming repositioned as a launchpad rather than an endpoint. Chandiramani has also pushed back on critics who question the ethical basis of the model. The broader ambition mirrors Spain's ongoing legislative overhaul of gambling regulation, which is similarly attempting to reframe the sector's role in the national economy.
“The most unfair criticism has been trying to present this strategy as if Ceuta were betting on an irresponsible model.”
— Kissy Chandiramani, Councillor for Treasury, Economic Transition and Digital Transformation
“Bet on Ceuta must serve from this moment to consolidate what has been achieved… and demonstrate that Ceuta does not want to be merely a fiscal destination, but a true business ecosystem.”
— Kissy Chandiramani, Councillor for Treasury, Economic Transition and Digital Transformation
“The key is not to depend on online gaming; the key is for online gaming to be the first chapter of a broader economic transformation.”
— Kissy Chandiramani, Councillor for Treasury, Economic Transition and Digital Transformation
Evaluating Ceuta as a Multi-Sector Base
Ceuta's official pivot toward blockchain, AI, and cybersecurity means operators evaluating the jurisdiction should now assess not just the gaming tax framework but also the maturity of adjacent digital infrastructure. If local authorities follow through on ecosystem investment, early movers in non-gaming verticals could benefit from the same regulatory attention and institutional support that propelled the iGaming sector's 630% billing growth — but the source does not confirm timelines or specific incentives for those adjacent sectors yet.
DGOJ Presence Adds Regulatory Weight
Among the headline speakers is Mikel Arana, director general of the DGOJ (Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego), whose presence lends the event significant regulatory gravitas. On the eve of Bet On Ceuta, Arana held an institutional meeting with Juan Vivas, president of the Autonomous City of Ceuta, at the Assembly Palace, accompanied by senior economic and tax officials. His session, titled "Towards a Safe Gambling Environment in Spain: Measures to Promote It", will address the regulatory framework for safer gambling across Spain. The DGOJ's engagement here follows its recent allocation of over €1 million in gaming disorder prevention research funding, signalling a consistent push to embed responsible gambling standards across all Spanish jurisdictions.
What the DGOJ's On-Site Engagement Signals
The DGOJ director general's pre-event institutional meeting with the President of the Autonomous City — held at the Assembly Palace and attended by senior economic and tax officials — is notably formal for what is effectively an industry conference. This level of protocol suggests the national regulator views Ceuta's iGaming concentration not merely as a local fiscal matter but as a jurisdiction-level policy issue relevant to Spain's broader safer gambling agenda. Operators already holding DGOJ licences should treat this engagement as an early indicator of how national standards may be applied or reinforced within Ceuta's specific regulatory environment.
Strategic Signal for Operators
Ceuta's trajectory from niche fiscal location to self-described digital ecosystem raises questions that operators and compliance teams should track carefully. The 630% billing growth between 2018 and 2023 already demonstrates the jurisdiction's commercial pull — but the explicit pivot toward AI, blockchain, and cybersecurity suggests local authorities are planning infrastructure well beyond gaming-specific regulation. Whether incoming investment in those adjacent sectors materialises, and how the regulatory framework evolves to accommodate them, will determine whether Ceuta can credibly diversify or remains primarily a gaming tax play. The DGOJ's active institutional engagement on site adds a layer of national regulatory oversight that operators already licensed in Spain would do well to monitor. The Loyra legal advisory firm's new Ceuta office, established specifically to serve the jurisdiction's growing operator base, underscores how the professional services infrastructure around Ceuta is expanding in step with its regulatory profile.
According to AzarPlus.
