Spain’s online gambling revenue increased by 11% in Q2.

In Q2, Spain’s online gross gambling revenue (GGR) reached €346.3m (£290.1m/$386.4m), marking an increase compared to the same period last year but slightly below the figures from Q1, despite UEFA Euro 2024 kicking off in June.

According to Spain’s Directorate General for Gambling Regulation (DGOJ), the Q2 total represents a 10.8% rise from €312.6m in Q2 2022, but a 1.2% decline from Q1’s €350.7m.

Casino gaming remained the largest contributor to online GGR, accounting for €171.7m (49.6% of total Q2 revenue), up 14.6% year-on-year and 2.3% quarter-on-quarter. Within the casino sector, slots GGR surged 19.5% from last year, and live roulette revenue grew 9.6%. While slots and blackjack revenue improved quarter-on-quarter, both conventional and live roulette saw a decline.

Sports betting sees mixed results Sports betting GGR reached €145.5m in Q2, up 9.1% from the previous year but 3.2% below Q1’s results. Breaking it down, pre-match football betting GGR dropped 10.3% from last year, although in-play bets increased 5.8%. Other bet types surged 36.6%, while horse racing betting fell by 12.3%.

Other segments Online poker revenue dipped 0.8% year-on-year to €25.6m, and was down 10.2% from Q1. However, it showed a positive variation of 6.2% year-on-year and 1.2% from Q1. Bingo revenue inched up 1.9% year-on-year to €3.6m but dropped 13.9% compared to Q1. Contest GGR remained flat at €2,000.

Marketing spend and player activity on the rise Marketing expenditure hit €120.2m in Q2, up 22.5% year-on-year and 6.6% higher than in Q1. This included €62.3m for promotions, €44.0m for advertising, €12.8m for affiliate spending, and €1.2m for sponsorship.

Following the Spanish Supreme Court’s April ruling overturning some 2020 advertising restrictions, gambling operators saw increased marketing opportunities, including the use of celebrities and influencers.

Player deposits totaled €1.09bn, up 15.9% from last year and 5.6% ahead of Q1. Withdrawals amounted to €740m. Active player accounts rose to 1.4 million, with new game accounts increasing 46.6% year-on-year to 446,586, and 1.8% ahead of Q1.

By the end of Q2, Spain had 78 licensed online operators, with 50 offering casino games, 42 sports betting, nine poker, four bingo, and two contests.