A total of 4,059 citizens from the province are registered in the self-exclusion list for gambling, 137 more than the previous year. Amalajer warns that these figures are just the tip of the iceberg.
A total of 4,059 residents of Málaga are listed in the general self-exclusion register for gambling, a voluntary tool that prevents them from entering both online betting sites and physical casinos, bingo halls, or gaming rooms. This figure, corresponding to 2024, represents 137 new self-exclusions compared to the previous year, an increase of 3.49%, according to data from the private gambling statistics in Andalusia collected by Diario Sur.
By gender, the register counts 2,621 men and 1,438 women. In total, there are 18,262 self-excluded individuals in Andalusia, with Málaga ranking second among provinces, just behind Seville (5,029). Granada has 2,632 registered individuals, while Jaén has the least, with 587.
The Málaga Association of Gambling Addicts in Rehabilitation (Amalajer) believes these figures reflect only a part of the problem. Its president, Francisco Abad, argues that those who register are already experiencing serious personal and family situations.
“They are the ones who have taken the step because they are already going through dramatic personal and family situations. Gambling, driven by online modalities, affects more and more people at younger ages.”
Abad knows the process from the inside: he overcame his own gambling addiction decades ago, with some relapses, at a time when there was hardly any information or support network. Today, he presides over an entity that assists those who arrive with the same problem. At the headquarters, located on Diego Vázquez Otero street, near the Bridge of the Americas, the association registers new users in the list as a mandatory preliminary step to start any treatment.
The profile of the addicted gambler has changed. Previously, it was said to be men aged between 35 and 45, but now people aged 20 to 30, including university students hooked on online gambling, are seeking treatment. “It’s a silent problem because you play from the intimacy of your home; you don’t have to physically go anywhere like you did years ago,” Abad points out.
Amalajer calls for restrictions on access to slot machines, which they consider the most addictive form of gambling, especially those installed in bars, to protect minors and vulnerable individuals. They remind that those registered in the list cannot enter gaming rooms, but they can access venues that do not have that restriction.
State data points to the same trend: according to the 2024 Activity Report of Gambling in Spain from the Ministry of Social Rights, online players increased by more than 450,000 compared to the previous year, nearing two million. Eight out of ten are men, and 85.70% are aged between 18 and 45. Operators generated over 8 billion euros in revenue in 2024.
Individuals wishing to register in the self-exclusion list can do so through the administration, and the association offers assistance at its headquarters in the capital for those needing to start treatment.
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