The Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), Spain’s gambling regulator, has released impressive figures for the second quarter, reporting nationwide gross gambling revenue (GGR) of €312.6 million. This marks a remarkable year-on-year increase of 55.1 percent and a steady 2.5 percent growth compared to the previous quarter.
Key Highlights:
Sports Betting Surges: Sports betting GGR experienced exponential growth, surging by 118.9 percent year-on-year to reach €133.3 million. Sequentially, it increased by 2.1 percent from the previous quarter.
Casino Dominance: Casinos remained the leading source of GGR, contributing €149.9 million. This segment witnessed a robust year-on-year growth of 27.9 percent and a steady 4.5 percent increase sequentially.
Slot Machines and Roulette: Slot machine GGR showed impressive gains, rising by 29.9 percent year-on-year. Roulette GGR also posted notable growth, increasing by 8.9 percent.
Poker and Bingo: Poker GGR saw a significant uptick of 27.6 percent, amounting to €25.8 million, but experienced a 5.8 percent decline from the previous quarter. Bingo GGR grew steadily by 5.5 percent year-on-year and sequentially to reach €3.5 million.
Contests and Advertising: The contests segment exhibited a staggering year-on-year growth of 1,464.9 percent, albeit with a 41.5 percent drop sequentially. Advertising spending increased by 7.7 percent, affiliate spending surged by 56.2 percent, and sponsorship spending soared by 225.2 percent following Spain’s ban on gambling sponsorship in La Liga. In contrast, spending on promotions decreased by 1.7 percent.
Market Insights:
The DGOJ reported a total of 78 active gambling licensees in Q2, with 43 offering sports betting, 50 operating casinos, nine involved in poker, three in bingo, and two in contests.
There was an 11.4 percent year-on-year increase in the number of monthly average active gaming accounts, totaling 1,134,993. However, new account registrations saw a slight decline of 3 percent, amounting to 102,804.
Player deposits showed a robust year-on-year increase of 19.6 percent but were down 2 percent sequentially. Withdrawals increased by 3 percent year-on-year but experienced a 2.3 percent decline compared to the previous quarter.
Future Regulatory Measures:
Earlier this month, the DGOJ initiated a consultation process on the Spanish government’s proposed “Royal Decree on Responsible Gaming Environments.” This legislation aims to introduce stricter regulations for the gambling sector, including the implementation of deposit limits and other measures.
The proposed legislation outlines a cross-operator system of deposit limits for online gambling and introduces a centralized monitoring system to track player activity across licensed operators, ensuring the enforceability of these limits.
Spain’s gambling market has exhibited remarkable growth in Q2, with sports betting, casinos, and other segments flourishing. As regulatory measures continue to evolve, the industry faces a changing landscape, with an emphasis on responsible gaming and player protection.