Online Gaming Booming in Spain Despite Continued Struggles from Online Poker

Online gaming revenues are once again on the rise in Spain, according to the Q1 2016 report recently published by Spanish gaming regulator Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ).

Total gross gaming revenues (GGR) in the regulated Spanish online marketplace increased by 32.15 percent from €77.42 million during the first quarter of 2015 to €102.32 million in the first quarter of this year. A smaller increase of 7.97 percent took place when compared to the €94.76 million in GGR recognized during the fourth quarter of last year.

As one might expect, total customer deposits increased in a similar ratio to that of GGR. The DGOJ reported €271.17 million in deposits during the first quarter of 2016, representing a sizable 39.98-percent growth from the €242.08 million deposited during the same period a year ago and a 12.02-percent increase from the fourth quarter of 2015.

Advertising expenditure increases appear to be the key catalyst for the market’s growth. Spanish online gaming operators invested €32.71 million in advertising during the most recent quarter, or a 46.06-percent increase from the €22.39 million spent in the same period a year ago and a similar 40.53-percent increase from the €23.27 million spent during the last quarter of 2015.

Online Casino and Sports Surge

By far the biggest driver to the overall growth of the Spanish online gaming operators came in the online casino vertical. Total GGR increased by an astounding 104.13 percent from €12.27 million during the first quarter of 2015 to €25.04 million during the first quarter of 2016. This also represented an increase of 10.62 percent from the €22.63 million in GGR recorded in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Online sports wagering, which is the biggest vertical …

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