Sports bets were up
Spain’s legal online gaming industry saw revenue growth for the first quarter on a year-on-year basis. But the numbers were down from the fourth quarter of 2016.
According to figures from the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego, the Spanish gaming regulator, total online revenues for the first three months of this year were €122.7 million (US$136 million), nearly 20 percent higher than the same period last year. But that figure was also down 2.4 percent from the fourth-quarter 2016 total.
Only sports betting improved from Q4 2016, reported CalvinAyre.com. Betting revenue was up 2.6 percent sequentially to €71.6 million, up 22 percent rise over the same period last year. Sports betting rose 4 percent to just under €1.4 billion, of which nearly 70 percent was spent on in-play wagers.
Casino revenue increased 30 percent year-on-year to €32.5 million, but was down from the fourth quarter by 9.5 percent. Casino spending increased 31.3 percent. Slots and roulette each saw revenues of €13.7 million—a 42 percent year-on-year improvement for both. Blackjack increased 18 percent to €5.1 million, and baccarat was flat at €2.5 million. Online poker reported a year-on-year revenue rise of 2.4 percent to €15.1 million.
The boost in Q1 revenue occurred despite operators reducing their advertising spend to €28 million, a decrease of 14.3 percent year-on-year.
