Special: The Rise And Rise Of Online Gambling In Spain

Over recent years, online gambling has seen a boost in traffic and revenue as major operators focused on the market and more players discovered the thrill of betting on the wide range of possibilities on the internet. It is now considered to be the capital of gambling across Europe, being only bigger by the UK in this aspect.

The growth is due to a combination of factors that includes the growing technology and advances that allow gamblers to easily have access to their favorite options. More than that, the regulations in the country have allowed the industry to expand while making sure that security and fair gaming remain flawless. Other reasons include the popularity of casino games like slots, the wide appeal of sports betting and more which we will take a closer look at right now.

Keeping online gambling safe and legal

The main driving incentive for growth comes with the local regulatory body known as Juego Seguro. This translates to "safe play" and it is a crucial part of the online gambling industry that allows players to stay relaxed and not have to worry about their funds or about the legitimacy of their online betting.

Although the legal market in Spain is fairly new and awarded its first license just a few years ago in 2012, it has grown very quickly over the years even despite the sharp recession in the country. It wasn’t until the summer of 2015 that the Spanish regulators gave the green light to online slots as part of the iGaming offering and this quickly increased the traffic for online casinos.

For the third quarter of 2015, online slots represented €18.1 million out of the total of €84.2 million in revenue generated from online gambling. Leading online casinos like bet365 Casino, Marca Aquestas Casino and 888 Casino quickly became the biggest brands in Spain for their impressive game collections rich in video slots.

Sports betting driven by soccer

There is no denying that football, or soccer, is the biggest sport in Spain and this also makes it the leading option for betting at online sportsbooks. World-famous teams like Real Madrid and Barcelona have countless fans in the country and well beyond it so every important match comes with a great response from online gamblers looking to support their favorites and win some money in the process.

Games are available on television at almost every hour and the convenient system that online bookmakers put in place allow punters to make their bets in a matter of minutes.

Adding up rake in online poker for Spanish operators

While online casinos and online sports betting are huge in Spain, we can't overlook the importance of online poker for the gambling industry as a whole. The card game has increased significantly in popularity across Spain and the internet poker rooms have a lot to do with this.

Playing online is much easier and convenient than having to go to a casino and stay there for hours. The comfort of playing for real money at home appeals to most Spanish players and the pools at online card rooms can have players from around the world.

Everything being regulated means that Spain gets revenue from online gambling through taxing operators. Everybody wins.