Portuguese online gambling revenue hits another record in Q3

Online gambling revenue grew for the eighth quarter in a row.

Portugal.- Online gambling revenue shows no sign of slowing down in Portugal, after an eighth consecutive quarter of growth in Q3. Revenue rose 23.7 per cent year-on-year and 1.7 per cent sequentially to €266.3m.

The growth remains driven by the online casino segment. According to national gambling regulator, the SRIJ, online casino revenue was up by 31.2 per cent year-on-year and 10.5 per cent sequentially at €175.1m. Player spending on online casino was up 33.7 per cent year-on-year to a record €4.87bn.

Slots accounted for 80.4 per cent of bets, way ahead of French roulette (6.1 per cent), the Portuguese dice game French bank (5.5 per cent) and blackjack (4.5 per cent).

In contrast, online sports betting generated revenue of €91.2m, up by 11.4 per cent year-on-year but down 11.7 per cent from Q2 of last year. Player spending reached €483.4m, with football accounting for 72.7 per cent of bets, ahead of tennis (21.2 per cent).

Gambling participation reached 4.5 million in Q3, a rise of 16.9 per cent year-on-year. There were 269,800 new registrations while 117,400 players closed their accounts and the number of self-excluded players reached 276,200, a rise of 40.5 per cent.

As for age groups, those aged 25- to 34 age were again the most active, but the highest proportion of new registrations were in the 18 to 24 age group (30.9 per cent).

The SRIJ said it issued 47 orders against gambling websites found to be operating in breach of regulations.

Land-based gambling in Portugal

In Portugal’s land-based gambling sector, gross revenue slipped slightly in Q3, falling 0.3 per cent year-on-year to €75.9m. The figure was up by 19.1 per cent compared to Q2. Slot machines generated €56.1m, down 2 per cent year-on-year, while casino and bingo gaming generated €19.9m, up by 4.9 per cent. Among these, American roulette generated €7.1m, up 22.8 per cent.

Last year, the Portuguese online gambling and betting trade association APAJO warned that the country is failing to tackle the issue of unlicensed gambling. Its annual Portuguese Online Gambling Habits Survey for 2024 suggests that 41 per cent of Portuguese players used unlicensed platforms, rising to 52.1 per cent for players aged between 18 and 34.

APAJO, which also filed criminal complaints against social media influencers for promoting unlicensed sites, said that the main reason users chose unlicensed platforms was for higher bonuses, higher odds and a bigger range of games. On the other hand, of those who preferred licensed platforms, 61.3 per cent cited increased security and 37.3 per cent highlighted better customer support.