Spain Expands Slowly but Surely, According to Latest Reports
Published December 14, 2018 by Lee R
The iGaming implementation across Europe needs Spain to expand effectively.
Betting growth in Spain is driving growth, according to the latest fiscal reports.
The Rise
Research indicates that Spain's online gambling market in Q3 generated a total of €181.7m ($206.4m) in gross gaming revenue (GGR) for a 30% year-on-year rise.
Betting Leads
Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) figures show the distribution spread across €97.6m from bets, €60.8m from casino, €19.8m from poker, €3.1m from bingo and €0.32m from contests.
The sports betting vertical showed revenues up almost a third (27%), with sports betting's dominant contribution of €97.6m revenues topping half of Spain's Q3 GGR at accounted for 53%.
Advertising Spend
Q3 marketing spending was further revealed to have topped out at €75.8m, for year-on-year growth of 56%, breaking down as €36.3m on advertising, €28.5m on promotions, €7.4m on affiliates and €3.5m on sponsorship. The advertising spend nearly doubled, at 92% rise for the year.
The sequential expense actually decreased by 7% from the previous quarter, which was attributed by Spain's regulator to an 11% drop in advertising investment.
Usership
Monthly average of active users grew vaulted 31% to 812,007, with only a slight 2% decrease in new registrations to 232,012 users.
Online Casino Growth
The online casino figure further represented a €60.8m total for the period, for a 39% rise on the year, good for a healthy third of total revenues.
The Operating Environment
The environment remains inviting for operators, underscored by the 5% tax break voted through Parliament in July. The report indicates that the conclusion of Q3 saw 52 operators licensed in the market, with 38 active in the casino vertical, and 29 in sports betting, with nine operators offering poker, six for bingo, and one offering contests.
Expanding Advertising
Advertising spend figures profile consistent with the maturing market in Europe. It comes on the heels of bet365's inking of 10 La Liga football clubs before the start of the 2018/19 football season which has increased the visibility, and prominence of gaming.
Spain's Context
Spain is considered a smaller market in the European sector, where UK advertising spends have been reported as up to £1.5bn on marketing since 2015, with the majority of that investment going online.
Priority Moving Forward
The ongoing concern in the expansion of iGaming in Spain remains protecting the youth and vulnerable, with calls for specific determination of the proper moments for advertising still on the social agenda to ensure effective adaptation.
