Spain Reopens Gambling Licenses Application Process
Published December 19, 2017 by Ivan P
Continued progress of the regulated gambling market in Spain has inspired the country's DGOJ to reopen the tender for gaming licenses for the third time.
Gambling operators wanting to offer their services in Spain will have another shot at acquiring the gaming license. The country's regulatory body, Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego, has reopened the tender for license application for the third time since new gambling laws were introduced in 2011.
Continuing a Sustainable Growth
According to the statement from the DGOJ, the tender will remain open for a full year, until December 16, 2018. The decision to offer more licenses to reliable operators willing to fully comply with the country's gaming legislation comes at the time the industry is experiencing an astounding growth.
Namely, during the three-month period ending with September 30, the regulated gambling market in Spain generated revenue of €140.5 million, which is a 37.3% year-on-year increase when compared to the same period in 2016. Likewise, the number represents a 16% growth in relation to the second quarter of 2017.
Ensuring Protection and Stability
For the DGOJ, it is key to cover both sides of the market. On one hand, the regulator wants to protect the most vulnerable groups of the society and provide a safe and responsible gaming environment. On the other, they strive to create a stable market that would offer certainty to the operators.
The DGOJ hopes to achieve both goals by providing licenses only to those operators with a proven track-record in the industry. A new round of the licensing process should help round up the existing offer with new quality gaming companies joining the market.
The timing for the expansion seems perfect as all segments of the industry have been showing signs of the constant, steady growth over the recent period. Apart from the casino niche, the sports betting segment has also grown by 54.8% year-on-year, contributing €77 million to the total number. Online poker, although significantly lagging behind the other two, has shown an upward trend as well with a 6.8% year-on-year growth, contributing a total of €14.7 million to the overall bottom line.
