Nearly half of Spain’s population gambles in some form according to a just released government study, but the study reports that participation is “generally moderate and responsible.” This comes as the government has awarded grants totaling $1.4 million to 26 entities investigating gambling harms.
The government of Spain has published its “Prevalence Study of Gambling on the General Public of Spain” which was produced by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, SBC News reported November 1.
The study was presented to the Responsible Gambling Advisory Council, whose job it is to develop safer gambling policies to protect consumers.
The data in the report was derived from 20,000 surveys of all of the country’s 17 autonomous communities. Survey questions were formulated by the council’s scientific unit. It sought to determine the public’s points of view on types of players, age and whether consumers prefer gambling in a brick-and-mortar setting or online.
The study also analyzed risks associated with various forms of gambling and looked at socioeconomic factors that determine preference and how harmful gambling is among certain groups.
According to the study, 49.5 percent of Spain’s 47.5 million population gamble, with 97 percent doing it in person and 6.6 percent online. Spanish lotteries account for the highest participation, with 81 percent saying they only play the lottery.
Men are mostly attracted to online gaming, at 73 percent, while 52 percent of women say they only play the lottery. Among men aged 26 to 35, 23.7 percent said they gambled, with 23.2 percent for the 35 to 45 age bracket.
The youngest age group, 18-25, mainly gamble online, which reflects the general move towards digital consumption in that age group.
Among those who gamble more than twice a week, sports betting was the leading form of wagering (31 percent) and 27 percent for lotteries.
Spain’s digital gambling trade association Jdigital, commented that the study’s findings might put the cart before the horse: “We believe that the Ministry of Consumer Affairs boasts of regulating based on science. However, from our perspective, over the past four years, the Ministry has first regulated and then presented data to justify its legislation.”
The association also accused the Ministry of Consumer Affairs for “apparent demonization of the online gambling sector.”
Earlier this year the government issued a “Royal Decree on Responsible Gaming Environments” requiring the industry to have the strictest surveillance of operators in Europe by next year.
The association has asked why the government is also not doing anything to address concerns about black market infringements on licensed gaming. Or to educate the public about “the differences between legal and illegal gambling.”
In a separate but related development, Spain’s General Directorate of Gambling Regulation (DGOJ) has announced it will do 26 projects to divide new funding allocated to investigate gambling harm, iGaming Business reported November 3.
The €1.3 million (£1.1 million/$1.4 million) funding was distributed by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs to a variety of universities, health institutions, nonprofits and research and development centers that had applied for the money in April. The projects all needed to focus on gambling harms or conditions related to gambling.
DGOJ said in a statement “These grants are aimed at carrying out research studies on disorders derived from gambling activity, with the prevention of the effects derived from said disorders or the risks associated with gambling.”
The funding happened at the same time that the regulator reported that the country’s gambling revenues increased 51.1 percent in the second quarter of 2023, to €312.6 million.
Casinos generated €149.9 millions, a 27.9 percent increase from a year ago; slots increased 29.9 percent over last year and live roulette revenue increased by 8.9 percent. However it was sports betting that saw the most phenomenal growth: with €133.3 million, a 118.9 percent increase from 2022.
