Luckia President José González Fuentes and board member José González Suárez tell NEXT.io how the Spanish operator is balancing international growth, family ownership, technology and generational transition, while staying true to its Galician roots.
For José González Fuentes, president and founder of Galicia-based operator Luckia, the focus has always been clear: build sustainably over decades, rather than quarters.
Luckia has tended to choose a different path to most major European operators. It has avoided the loudest kind of expansion, yet consistently ranks among the leading online gaming brands in Spain by market share. It is now growing internationally across Latin America, Africa and other parts of Europe.
“We live in a time where the focus is on those who make the most noise,” González Fuentes tells NEXT.io. “We have always tried to guide ourselves by another logic, quietly building with humility and discretion.”
It is an approach that can look almost unfashionable in an industry defined by rapid market entries, aggressive M&A and international scale. But for Luckia, this quieter route has become part of its competitive identity.
González Fuentes says many have tried to acquire the company over the years. The answer has always been no.
That decision reflects a broader belief inside Luckia that scale matters, but it is not the only way to build a durable gambling business.
“Experience has shown us that size is important, but it is not the only thing.”
Competing in a mature market
The Spanish market is one of Europe’s most mature and tightly regulated. For González Fuentes, this is simply the framework in which strong businesses must learn to operate.
The country’s gambling regulator DGOJ recently introduced a new cross-operator deposit limit system, adding another layer to a market already shaped by strict advertising restrictions and close regulatory scrutiny.
Even so, Spain’s online gambling market reported GGR of €454.1m for the first three months of 2026, up 13.9% on the same period last year.
“Regulation is part of our sector and we see it as essential for bringing security and trust to customers,” says González Fuentes. “However, there must be room for licensed operators to be able to compete without handing an advantage to those who operate offshore.”
Against that backdrop, he argues, the opportunity depends on product, technology, customer understanding and the ability to personalise the experience.
This is where he believes a family-owned operator like Luckia can still compete with much larger groups.
“Properly managed family businesses have very relevant competitive advantages. A long-term vision, a more stable culture, more agile decision-making and a closer relationship with people,” González Fuentes says.
“We have never tried to be the biggest. We have tried to be the best at what we do. And we still see a lot of runway ahead.”
Global ambition, Galician roots
A large part of Luckia’s identity is tied to Galicia, the region of northwestern Spain where the company was founded in 1969 and is still headquartered.
The company employs 2,700 people, operating 15 land-based casinos alongside its online offering. Being based in one of Spain’s less economically developed regions has not prevented it from scaling.
“From here, we have built an international company and shown that it is possible to compete at the highest level,” says González Fuentes.
Luckia reported 2024 consolidated gross revenues of €603.2m, up 6% on the previous year, and EBITDA of €58.3m. The company’s 2025 results will be published shortly, but at this time González Fuentes will only say that he’s very happy with them.
Spain remains the overwhelming driver of revenues, but the company is increasingly looking further afield for growth.
It obtained a licence in Colombia in 2018, shortly after the market first opened. In 2024, it launched in Cameroon alongside brand ambassador Jacques Songo’o, a Cameroonian football legend who spent much of his career in Galicia playing for Deportivo La Coruña. It now has a presence in more than 10 markets worldwide.
But Luckia’s international growth has not weakened its attachment to Galicia. If anything, González Fuentes sees the company’s location as a strategic and cultural advantage.
“Because we believe in Galicia and because Galicia has believed in us,” he says when asked why the company remains committed to the region. “Our vocation is global, but our roots are still here.”
Modernising without losing the essence
That local identity is becoming even more important as the company expands. Luckia’s next stage will be led by José González Suárez, the nephew of José González Fuentes.
“I believe the best way to respect a legacy is not to try to reproduce it exactly, but to understand it and internalise it,” González Suárez says.
“My uncle José and my father Alfredo, together with many others, built a company with a very clear culture, based on respect for people, commitment and a long-term vision.”
For González Suárez, the central challenge is to modernise without stripping away what made Luckia distinctive in the first place.
“We need to keep evolving without losing our essence,” he says. “This sector changes very quickly: technology, customer habits, regulation and the way we compete.”
Artificial intelligence is already part of that process at Luckia. The company is investing in AI, data analysis and product development as it prepares for a future where personalisation becomes even more important.
“We use it where it can help us better analyse data, improve operational efficiency, personalise the customer experience and help our teams make better decisions,” González Suárez says.
Still, he insists that AI should enhance rather than replace human capability.
“We are not going to lay anyone off because of artificial intelligence. There are major tech companies taking advantage of the rise of artificial intelligence to justify layoffs. It is the perfect excuse to justify restructurings that are happening for many other reasons.”
“Technology must be at the service of people,” he says. “AI should not replace talent, but rather multiply its capacity.”
The generational handover at Luckia is not being treated as a single date or symbolic break. González Fuentes does not describe it as a withdrawal.
“Luckia has been a very important part of my life for decades and will continue to be part of it as long as I have the health, energy and the ability to keep contributing.”
What is happening, he says, is a natural evolution. His role is shifting from building the project to ensuring it can grow sustainably for the next 30 or 40 years.
“My greatest achievement is to have built an organisation capable of continuing to grow beyond the person who founded it,” González Fuentes says.
“The first stage of Luckia consisted of building a company. The next consists of ensuring that it continues to grow for many more decades. Each generation has a different mission. Ours was to create the project. José and his team’s mission will be to drive it towards the future.”
