Portugal: online overtakes retail gambling

Online gambling revenues for the three months ended March 31 climbed 47.5 per cent reaching €69.8million, up from €47million in Q1 2019.

Portugal.- Online gambling revenues have overtaken those of land-based facilities for the first time in the first quarter of the year.

Online gambling revenues for the three months ended March 31 climbed 47.5 per cent reaching €69.8million, up from €47million in Q1 2019.

Revenue from land-based facilities fell by 17.4 per cent to €62million (down from €75.1million in Q1 2019, largely because of the closure of casinos and gaming halls on March 13 due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Land-based revenue for March was only €9.3million compared to usual monthly revenue of more than €25million.

The Portuguese regulator, Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos, breaks down online gambling into casino betting and sports betting.

The casino segment saw the largest growth, up 56 per cent to €35.3million. Online sports betting brought in €34.5million, up 39.2 per cent year on year.

The regulator also reported a 32 per cent increase in the number of registered players in the last year.

£149million euros was wagered on sports in the first quarter, almost 75 per cent of that on football. Basketball, tennis and hockey made up most of the remainder.

Slots were the biggest revenue earner in the casino sector, accounting for almost 70 per cent of takings, with players gambling more than €1billion during the period.

Land-based gambling brought in €62million, including €51million from machines. The decline of 18.3 per cent on numbers from Q1 last year are largely due to the closure of venues during lockdown.

Last month the political party Pessoas-Animais-Natureza (PAN) proposed a bill to limit online gambling in Portugal during the country’s Covid-19.