Sports
Spanish Gaming GGR Surges as Betting Margins Recover in Q3
The Spanish gambling industry is on the rise. The most recent trend indicates a rebound in the third quarter of 2022, following a quarter-on-quarter stagnation in Gross Gambling Revenue (GGR) of less than 2.5% of turnover. According to a report by the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ), the industry experienced a significant upturn in the third quarter of 2022, bringing the GGR to a whopping €240.8 million. In this article, we will look at the events that led to the upturn and what the future holds for the Spanish gambling industry.
A Quick Overview of Spanish Gambling
The Spanish gambling industry is regarded as successful in terms of revenue generation and problem gambling prevention. The industry is governed by the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling, which issues licenses to operators.
The country legalized online gambling in 2011, and its regulations have since been revised to discourage risky gambling behavior. Over 50 licensed online gambling operators offer various games ranging from Spanish sports betting to poker to bingo. Land-based casinos are also prevalent and serve as tourist attractions. With close to $10 billion in annual revenues, the national lottery, Loterias y Apuestas del Estado, significantly contributes to the sector. 20% of the GGR gaming tax is contributed by just sports betting and online casinos.
Increasing Profits Despite All Odds
Despite increased regulations, gambling revenues in Spain have also increased. The gambling regulator, DGOJ, reported a 14.8% decrease in GGR in the first quarter of 2022, bringing it to €204.4 million (US$215.17 million) in comparison to the first quarter of 2021. This was, however, a 16.25% increase over the previous quarter.
In the third quarter of 2022, they reported an 18.1% increase quarter-on-quarter and a 31.3% increase from the same quarter in the previous year. The increase was primarily attributed to sports betting, which increased 46.2% from Q2 and 103.6% year-on-year. Betting margins increased from 2.2% in the previous quarter to 4.1% in the current quarter. Marketing expenditure is also on the rise despite tightening restrictions as sponsorship deals take an upturn of 373.7% quarter-on-quarter.
More Stringent Rules are being Implemented
Following the upward trend, the Spanish ministerial council approved over 30 new responsible gaming measures in its Royal Decree of Commercial Communication. The new measures, which went into effect on March 14, 2023, aim to identify risky consumer spending behavior among youth aged 18 to 25.
Users who incur a net loss of €600, or €200 for those under the age of 25, in a three-week period are classified as intensive gamblers under the new rules. Gaming operators are not permitted to send promotional messages to high-risk individuals or to include them in VIP programs. If harmful behavior is detected, gaming operators must notify risk gamblers and provide a monthly summary of their gambling activities. They are also prohibited from advertising to people between the ages of 18 and 25 prior to their willful interaction with the business.
How is the Industry Reacting to Tightening Regulations?
The Asociación de Medios e Información (AMI) and Jdigital have both petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn the restrictions that are crippling the gambling industry. JDigital, the Spanish online operator association, has criticized the developments in the 2023 Royal Decree, claiming that the move was unnecessary given that the industry is experiencing fewer cases of problem gambling. They also emphasized that the country already has some of the strictest regulations in Europe.
JDigital is urging officials to focus more on capitalizing on existing opportunities to improve the gambling market and encourage investment in the country. JDigital promotes safe gambling through initiatives such as the VII Edition of the Jdigital Awards, which saw various players awarded titles such as Best Marketing Campaign, Best Service Provider, Best Technology Provider, and Best Responsible Gaming Initiative.
The Spanish Gambling Industry’s Potential
In 2021, Spain’s population was estimated to be 47.42 million people and internet penetration was 94%, according to the World Bank. This presents a broad reach for the gambling industry and the potential for increased revenue with reasonable regulations in place. However, certain measures are hindering growth, such as taxing player winnings as taxable income and levying a 10% tax on the Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) of operators who become tax residents in Ceuta and Melilla. Nevertheless, with organizations such as AMI and JDigital advocating for reasonable regulations, the Spanish gambling industry is likely to reach a positive arrangement with authorities and further bolster revenue generation.
Final Thoughts
The Spanish gambling industry is showing promising signs of growth and recovery despite the challenges posed by the Royal Decree of Commercial Communication. With the support of organizations such as JDigital, the gambling sector is likely to further capitalize on the potential of its vast consumer base, potentially leading to higher GGR.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s Super Falcons have failed to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup after suffering a 2-1 defeat to South Africa in their play-off encounter on Thursday night.
The Nigerian team, reeling from a 1-0 loss to Cameroon in the quarter-finals of the CAF Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) on Sunday, showed no signs of putting their misery to bed as they went two goals down to the Bayana Bayana team. It took a late penalty scored by Christy Uchebe to halve the deficit after the South Africans went down to 10 players.
The Super Falcons needed a victory against their opponents to progress to the next stage of the qualification process and secure one of the two available tickets to the intercontinental play-offs. The defeat ended their hopes of making it to the 2027 tournament, which will be hosted by Brazil.
The result brings an end to Nigeria’s remarkable record of appearing at every edition of the Women’s World Cup since the tournament was first held in 1991.
The play-offs were introduced to determine the final African representatives after four teams were eliminated at the quarter-final stage of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Two qualification tickets were available, with Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire battling for the opportunity to advance.
Ghana secured one of the available tickets after defeating Côte d’Ivoire 2-1, while South Africa claimed the other following their victory over the Super Falcons.
The Super Falcons had featured in all previous editions of the tournament, making their absence from the 2027 World Cup a significant moment in the history of Nigerian women’s football.
It also raises fresh questions about the direction of Nigerian national football after the Super Eagles also failed to qualify for the recently concluded FIFA World Cup held in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
European football returns with a bang as the new season kicks off. The dust has barely settled on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but European football wastes no time getting back to business. Over the next two weeks, the continent’s prominent competitions will launch in quick succession, giving fans a dense run of fixtures across the UEFA Super Cup, the FA Community Shield, La Liga, the Premier League and Serie A.
Paris Saint-Germain, fresh off back-to-back Champions League triumphs, faces Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday 12 August at 8pm which will be airing on Supersport across DStv & GOtv, with the French side chasing a second successive Super Cup crown against an Aston Villa team that has become an increasingly serious force in European competition.
England’s traditional curtain-raiser follows four days later. The FA Community Shield, staged in Cardiff on Sunday 16 August at 3pm, pits Premier League champions Arsenal against FA Cup holders Manchester City, the latter beginning life under new manager Enzo Maresca, while Arsenal look to reinforce their status as the team to beat.
Spain gets moving over the same weekend, with La Liga’s opening round running from Saturday 15 to Monday 17 August. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have all been given extended rest following Spain’s World Cup win, leaving the door open for the chasing pack to set an early pace before Matchday 2 arrives from 20 to 24 August.
The Premier League then starts the following weekend, running from Friday 21 to Monday 24 August. Champions Arsenal open their title defence at home to promoted Coventry, before a full round of fixtures featuring Manchester United, Tottenham, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, among others, round out the opening weekend. Serie A joins the calendar on the same weekend, from 22 to 24 August, with holders Inter Milan starting their title defence against Monza and Napoli, Juventus, Milan and Roma all in early action.
With five major competitions launching inside a fortnight, the new European season promises an unrelenting start. All the action will be available live on SuperSport, across DStv and GOtv.
A blockbuster week of sporting action awaits DStv and GOtv subscribers, with the decisive stages of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), UEFA Super Cup, FA Community Shield and Trophée des Champions among the major attractions.
Football takes centre stage as WAFCON reaches its business end in Morocco, with the semi-finals scheduled for Wednesday.
Defending champions Nigeria will not be involved after the Super Falcons were eliminated by Cameroon in the quarter-finals, losing 1-0. Their exit means a new champion will be crowned when the tournament concludes on Sunday.
The first semi-final will see Algeria face Malawi on Wednesday before hosts Morocco take on Cameroon at 21:00 WAT, later in the day. Both matches will be broadcast live on SuperSport. The third-place play-off is scheduled for Saturday, with the final taking place in Rabat on Sunday at 20:00 WAT.
European silverware will also be at stake on Wednesday when Paris Saint-Germain face Aston Villa in the UEFA Super Cup at Stadion Salzburg in Austria. The fixture pits Champions League winners PSG against Europa League winners Aston Villa and will be shown live on SuperSport 20:00 WAT.
The action continues on Sunday with the FA Community Shield, as Arsenal take on Manchester 15:00 WAT. The traditional curtain-raiser for the English season will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
French football will also have early-season silverware at stake when Lens host PSG in the Trophee des Champions on Sunday at Stade Bollaert-Delelis. The match kicks off at 20:00 WAT and will be live on SuperSport.
The new La Liga season gets underway on Saturday, with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and the other leading Spanish clubs beginning their campaigns.
Beyond football, cricket fans will have plenty to enjoy as The Hundred reaches its climax on Sunday, with the women’s final followed by the men’s final. Both matches will be available on SuperSport Cricket.
Combat sports will also take the spotlight with UFC 330 from Philadelphia on Saturday, adding another major attraction to SuperSport’s weekend line-up.
