Spain: player spend on online gaming grows 4.1% year-on-year

The Spanish gaming regulator’s annual online gaming player report reveals that the median player spent reached €533 in 2020.

Spain.- The Spanish gaming regulator, the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), has released its annual player report, revealing that players’ median spend on online gaming grew 4.1 per cent to €533 in 2020.

The rise is equal to €44.46 per month, or €10.26 per week. The number of online gaming players grew 8.2 per cent to 1.4 million, 82.3 per cent of them men.

There was a rise in the number of players across all age groups, but older age groups saw the steepest growth.

The biggest age group for online gaming remained those aged 26-35 (503,335 players), followed by 18-25 (406,667 players). However, the DGOJ reported that the number of players in the 46-55 age range rose 14.1 per cent to 156,069, while the number in the 56-60 age range rose 12.3 per cent to 1,706.

Those aged 36-45 spent the most, with their median spend rising 0.8 per cent to €802. The amount spent by those aged 18-25 grew the most, up 8.4 per cent to €233, although this remained the age group with the lowest median spend. 

Betting was the most used form of online gambling among all ages. 

Spanish online gaming revenue up 13.8% in 2020

In March, the DGOJ reported that online gross gambling revenue (GGR) in Spain reached €850.7m in 2020.

That figure, published in the regulator’s annual report, represents a 13.8 per cent increase year-on-year, up from €748.2m in 2019.

The increase comes despite a 7.1 per cent drop in revenue from sports betting, which remains the largest contributor to revenue at €365.1m.

However, revenue from the online casino vertical was not far behind, climbing 33.7 per cent to €350.8m in a year that saw Spain under lockdown restrictions for many months.

Online poker GGR climbed 35.8 per cent to €110.3m, bingo was up by 40.8 per cent at €16.5m and revenue from contests soared 185.7 per cent to €8m.

In total, player spending on online gambling rose 15 per cent to €21.60bn as the number of active accounts rose 16 per cent to 2.9 million.

The DGOJ reported that operators’ spending on marketing rose 24.2 per cent year-on-year to €462.1m, with €199.7m spent on advertising and €197.3m on promotions. 

Spain introduced strict new rules on gaming advertising towards the end of the year. 

Changes to gaming tax regime in Spain?

Spain continues to look at tightening legislation on gaming, recently launching a consultation including loot boxes in gambling law.

Now Spain’s minister of consumer affairs, Alberto Garzón, has said he plans to sanction a review of the tax structure for gambling operators in the country.

Speaking to Europa Press, the minister, who was instrumental in pushing through Spain’s new gambling advertising rules, said he was discussing possible formulas with the treasury.

See also: The 6 best casinos in Spain