Spain’s online gambling market recorded a marginal increase in gross gaming revenue (GGR) in the fourth quarter of 2023, reaching €315.3 million, according to the latest figures released by the country’s regulator, the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ).
Casino Remains the Dominant Segment
The Q4 GGR represented a 0.6% year-on-year and a 3.6% quarter-on-quarter growth, with casino being the largest contributor to the total revenue. Casino GGR amounted to €171.3 million, accounting for 54.3% of the market share. The casino segment was boosted by a 25.9% increase in slots revenue and a 15.3% rise in live roulette revenue.
Other casino games, such as blackjack, punto banco, and conventional roulette, also saw positive variations in revenue compared to the same period in 2022. The only exception was poker cash games, which registered a 7% decrease in GGR.
Sports Betting and Poker Follow Behind
Sports betting was the second most popular online gambling activity in Spain, generating €114.7 million in GGR, or 36.4% of the market share. However, this was a 3.4% decline from the previous quarter and a 0.9% drop from the same quarter in 2022. The sports betting segment was affected by a lower betting margin, especially in football and basketball.
Poker was the third most lucrative vertical, with €25.4 million in GGR, or 8.1% of the market share. This was a 4.5% increase from Q3 and a 2.4% increase from Q4 2022. The poker segment benefited from the growth of tournaments, which accounted for 72.4% of the total poker revenue.
The remaining online gambling activities, such as bingo and contests, had a minor impact on the overall market revenue, with €3.8 million and €50,000 in GGR respectively.
Deposits and Marketing Expenditure Also Rise
The DGOJ report also revealed that the total deposits made by online gamblers in Q4 2023 reached €1.04 billion, a 9.4% increase from the same quarter in 2022. The total withdrawals also increased by 14% to €734.7 million.
The monthly average of active game accounts was 1,269,585, a 6.8% increase from Q4 2022. The monthly average of new game accounts was 129,207, a 2.3% decrease from the same period in 2022.
The online gambling operators spent €113 million on marketing activities in Q4 2023, a 5.3% increase from Q4 2022. The marketing expenditure included €53 million on promotions, €45.2 million on advertising, €14 million on affiliation, and €750,000 on sponsorship.
By the end of Q4 2023, there were 78 licensed operators in Spain, offering various online gambling products, such as casino, sports betting, poker, bingo, and contests.
