Spanish online gaming revenue fell 4.2% in 2021

Revenue was down against 2021, but stakes were 25 per cent higher.

Spain.- The Spanish gambling regulator, the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), has published gaming revenue and stakes figures for 2021, showing a decline in online gambling revenue despite a rise in stakes. Online gaming revenue fell 4.2 per cent year-on-year to €815m but stakes were up across all verticals.

There may have been concern that a decline in revenue was related to Spain’s new advertising restrictions, but with stakes up by 25 per cent and deposits up 216 per cent at €2.77bn, it appears to be more a result of trading.

Online casino overtakes sports betting in Spain

Online casino overtook sports betting for the first time with revenue rising by 16 per cent to €407.1m. Slots accounted for €241.4m (up 23 per cent) live roulette revenue €120.6m (up 18.6 per cent), blackjack €23.2m (down 5.7 per cent) and RNG roulette €22m (down 27.2 per cent). Total casino stakes rose by 50 per cent year-on-year to €13.6bn.

Online betting revenue fell to €305.9m, a drop of 16.2 per cent and the lowest total since 2016. In-play sports betting accounted for €192.2m (from €5.81bn staked), live sports betting €114.9m (stakes of €4.65bn) and horse racing bets actually generated negative revenue of €355.1m. Finally, poker revenue was €85.4m, down 22.7 per cent, despite stakes rising by 8.8% to €2.4bn.

Spanish gambling marketing spend down slightly

Operators marketing spend fell by just 0.9 per cent in a year that saw the introduction of new advertising restrictions for gambling operators in Spain. Football sponsorship was banned as of the start of the current season and TV and radio advertising was limited to between 1am and 5am.

Sponsorship spending dropped by 29.3 per cent to €19m. Advertising spend actually increased slightly to €205m while bonus spending slipped 1.1 per cent to €195m.

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