The evolution of online gaming in Spain continues at a strong pace, with the sector achieving a significant growth in overall turnover and gross gaming revenue (GGR) in 2016.
According to the latest data from the country’s gaming regulator, the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ), the Spanish online gaming and betting market surpassed the € 10 billion turnover and € 400 million GGR mark for the first time since it was launched in June 2012.
Drilling into the latest DGOJ statistics, Eduardo Morales Hermo, senior advisor at Ficom Leisure, said: "Turnover in Spain’s online gaming industry grew by 22.9 % between 2015 and 2016, totalling € 10.9 billion, compared with € 8.56 billion in 2015. GGR growth was more than 34%, reaching € 429 million, compared with € 319.2 million in the previous year.”
According to Morales Hermo, the betting vertical leads the overall Spanish market turnover, accounting for 43.8% of industry-wide revenues. "However, the biggest product growth was recorded by the online and mobile casino games, which were 41% of the total turnover in 2016,” he stated.
"The increase was generated primarily by slots and live roulette. The betting GGR represents around 50% market share proportion, followed by the casino games segment with around 27%. ”
Spain’s online gaming market officially opened on June 5, 2012, with the launch of .es dedicated websites. In the first three quarters of 2013 alone, the Spanish market generated € 168 million in gross gaming revenue, and the sector has continued to report strong growth over the intervening years.
Looking ahead, Hermo said: "We believe that
in 2017 the Spanish online gaming and betting market will pass the € 500
million GGR figure.”
Source: GMB / Totallygaming
