Spain’s Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ) has released its Q4 22 report revealing that gross gambling revenue (GGR) across the industry for the quarter increased by 78.2% year-on-year.
According to the report, GGR totaled €313.3 million, an increase of 27.1% from the €240.8 million reported in the third quarter.
Sports betting up by over 223%
The growth was primarily driven by sports betting as operators reported GGR of €141.4 million. This represented a significant 223.4% increase on the same reporting period in the previous year. It was also a 52.8% increase on the previous quarter and made up 45.1% of all GGR generated during the quarter.
The DGOJ gave a breakdown of sports betting activity that noted an increase of 108.5% in pre-match betting and a 13.8% increase in live wagers or in-play bets. Horse betting increased by 63.6% while other forms of wagering jumped by 86.8% year-on-year. However, the DGOJ also notes that Q4 22 was an exceptional period due to the World Cup held in Qatar during the month of December.
Land-based casinos lead the industry
Land-based casinos reported GGR of €142.3 million, a 32.4% increase on the same period in 2021 and an 11.1% increase on Q3’s figures. Casinos accounted for 45.4% of the industry’s GGR just slightly ahead of sports betting.
GGR from slot machines increased by 27.3% year-on-year while roulette increased by 51.7%. Poker GGR was up by 26.8% while bingo dropped by 11.5% to €3.6 million.
User numbers on the rise
Average monthly active game accounts increased to 1,185,452, reflecting a 22.9% year-on-year growth and a 21.1% rise compared to Q3. Meanwhile, the average monthly new game accounts total reached 131,095, which was 21.6% lower than the previous year, but still exhibited a 23.9% increase compared to Q3.
Based in London, Natasha is a former sports journalist with experience working for some of the biggest athletes & brands in the world of sports and iGaming.