If we talk about the European gambling market, Spanish gambling cannot be ignored. Since Spain reformed its online gambling law in 2011, the Spanish gambling industry has been advancing by leaps and bounds. The wave of the digital Internet has transformed traditional gambling games into an iGaming system that can be played anytime and anywhere. The use rate of smartphones has become higher and wider, and the appeal of Internet games has become greater and greater. Creative gambling game designs, attractive bonuses, and VIP plans have deeply attracted gambling users and met the needs of different groups of people. In addition, the convenience and security of online payments have also greatly improved the growth of users. They are all shaping the gambling landscape in Spain. It seems that the Spanish (online gambling) iGaming market is one of the largest markets in Europe. Therefore, although TC-Gaming has been talking about African gambling before, today we will talk about the vibrant and booming Spanish gambling market in European gambling.

Spain Overview

Spain, located in the south of Europe, is one of the important member states of the European Union and one of the world's tourist destinations, attracting tourists from all over the world to appreciate its unique scenery and rich culture. The capital, Madrid, is the political, economic, and cultural center of Spain and one of the most important cities in Europe. In addition, Barcelona and Valencia are also important cities in Spain, each with its own unique cultural charm and historical sites. Geographically, Spain is the fourth largest country in Europe, with a total area of ​​approximately 505,990 square kilometers, and has a diverse range of landforms and climates, including coastlines, mountains, rivers, and vast plains.

Spain's economy

Since the 1960s, Spain has implemented a policy of fully opening up to the outside world, actively introducing a large amount of foreign capital and advanced technology. This new open policy has enabled Spain to successfully develop tourism and encourage the export of labor. This series of measures has created economic growth known as the "Spanish Miracle". Then by 2010, Spain's GDP had reached 1408.7 billion US dollars, and its per capita GDP exceeded 30,000 US dollars. This data has made Spain's industry enter the ranks of developed countries.

Spain's shipbuilding industry has always been ranked among the best in Europe, and light industries such as shoemaking and clothing also enjoy a high reputation worldwide. In terms of energy, Spain has 8 nuclear power plants, and wind and solar power generation have begun to be put into use on a large scale.

In terms of agriculture, the proportion of agriculture in Spain in the 1970s was 27%, but by 2009, this proportion had dropped to 7%. Despite this, agricultural output is still increasing. Tourism is also very developed in Spain. There are 40 world heritage sites in the country, which makes Spain rank third in the world in terms of the number of world heritage sites, thus enjoying the reputation of a "tourism kingdom". Therefore, Spain's economy is dominated by the service industry, of which tourism is the most important part, and there are also some manufacturing and agriculture.

Spanish Language

In Spain, everyone who lives there, whether in the city or the countryside, speaks Spanish as their mother tongue or as a second language. You can say that everyone speaks Spanish fluently. However, Spain also has a diversity of languages, such as Catalan (or Valencian). Catalan is spoken by 9% of the population, while Galician is spoken by 5% and Basque is spoken by 2%.

Note: Nearly 500 million people are speaking Spanish worldwide, making it the second most spoken language in the world after Chinese. Spanish has a wide influence and is the language adopted as an official language by most countries besides English, French, and Arabic. At the same time, Spanish is also recognized by the United Nations as one of its official languages. Globally, there are more than 500 million people who speak Spanish as their mother tongue or second language, which highlights the importance and influence of Spanish.

Population of Spain

According to the latest statistics in January 2024, the total population of Spain reached 47.5 million. Taking into account the population data of the previous year, we can see that from 2023 to 2024, the population of Spain has decreased by about 43,000 people, a decrease of -0.09%.

In terms of gender ratio, the female population in Spain accounts for 51.0% of the total population, while the male population accounts for 49.0%. The female population in Spain is slightly larger than the male population. In addition, from the distribution of residence, most of the population in Spain, about 81.7%, live in urban centers. In contrast, 18.3% of the population choose to live in rural areas, so we may also see that Spain is a highly urbanized country.

Age distribution of the Spanish population

Spain's population is very mature. The average age is 45.1 years old, but it also reflects serious aging. The population distribution of Spain can be classified according to various age groups:

• Children between 0 and 4 years old make up 3.8% of the total population.
• Children aged 5 to 12 years account for 7.4% of the total population.
• Young people aged 13 to 17 account for 5.4% of the total population.
• Young people aged 18 to 24 account for 7.3% of the total population.
• Adults aged 25 to 34 account for 10.9% of the total population.
• Middle-aged people aged 35 to 44 account for 13.5% of the total population.
• The population aged 45 to 54 accounts for 16.4% of the total population.
• The elderly aged 55 to 64 account for 14.3% of the total population.
• The population aged 65 and above accounts for 21.0% of the total population.

From our data analysis, we can see that the population aged 25-64 in Spain accounts for 55.1%, which is a very high proportion. This data reflects that in Spain, more than half of the population is in this age range. This means that from the perspective of age structure, the Spanish gambling market has huge potential. In other words, more than half of the population in Spain may be potential target players in the gambling industry, which is a very favorable condition for the development of online gambling.

Current situation of gambling in Spain

2006 was an important turning point for the Spanish gambling industry. In that year, the gambling industry's market share in Spain reached an unprecedented scale, so the government and relevant authorities began to realize the need to formulate regulations to exercise stricter control over the gambling industry. This year, they introduced a new regulation that legalized online gambling in the form of sports betting. This regulation allows 17 regions in Spain to license physical gambling operators in their respective places according to their wishes and needs. Although this regulation has played a certain role in promoting the development of the gambling industry, it has also left a lot of uncertainty and gray areas. Therefore, Madrid immediately took action and became the first region in Spain to issue a gambling license.

By 2010, with the development and popularity of the Internet, online gambling began to rise internationally. To effectively manage this emerging industry, the Spanish authorities set up a special committee, the General Directorate of Gambling Supervision (DGOJ), to formulate more detailed and professional regulations for online gambling. A year later, in 2011, Spain issued a brand new regulation, the Spanish Gambling Law. This is a new regulation covering all gambling businesses in Spain, bringing the Spanish gambling industry into a new stage. According to this bill, online gambling, including slot machines and poker, has been officially legalized. The main condition for the legalization of gambling is that any online gambling that provides services in Spain needs to obtain a license from the DGOJ.

If I have to describe how prosperous the Spanish gambling industry is, I would like to say that it is better to understand the current situation of the Spanish gambling industry through some specific facts and data. Below, I will share with you some of the latest news and information about the Spanish gambling industry:

• April 10, 2024: The Spanish Supreme Court partially upheld the appeal of the Spanish Digital Games Association (Jdigital) against Royal Decree 958/2020, which abolished restrictions such as the ban on celebrity advertising and the ban on video-sharing platforms.
• In its 2022 annual report compiled by CeJuego, the Spanish Gambling Business Commission, it was found that 83.9% of the Spanish population aged 18-75 participated in gambling. This percentage represents more than 30 million people. The report shows that only 5.6 million people do not gamble at all.
• In the fourth quarter of 2022, Spain’s gross gambling revenue (GGR) increased by 78.2% year-on-year, mainly driven by growth in the sports betting sector.
• Spain’s third-quarter 2023 gross gambling revenue (GGR) increased 23.6% year-on-year to €304.3m (£261.2m/€332.3m)
• Online gambling revenues in Spain rose slightly to €315.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2023.

The latest figures released by the Spanish General Directorate of Gambling (DGOJ) show that gross gambling revenue (GGR) in 2023 was €1.24bn (£1.06bn/$1.35bn), up more than a quarter year-on-year at 28.4%. A look at the chart below gives a clear picture of the Spanish gambling authorities’ gambling revenues from 2016 to 2023.

Meanwhile, in Spanish gambling, deposits, and withdrawals by gamblers increased by 15.5% and 10.1% respectively. The number of active gamblers also rose slightly by 2.7% to more than 1.6 million.

What kind of gambling games do Spanish people like?

Spain is a country that fully recognizes and legalizes the gambling industry. Since 2011, its online gambling market has maintained a strong momentum of development. The gambling industry in Spain is mainly composed of five parts: physical casinos, lotteries, sports betting, online gambling, and street lotteries. Among them, sports betting is the largest part, accounting for more than half of the market, and lotteries are also enthusiastically sought after by consumers. However, starting from 2023, the electronic revenue ratio of casinos shows an upward trend, which may indicate the development trend of online electronic games in the future.

Let’s take a closer look by analyzing the Spain 2023 report:

Spain’s gambling revenues rose slightly to €315.3 million in the third quarter, up 3.6% from the second quarter and up 0.6% compared to the same period in 2022.

• Physical casinos accounted for the largest share of revenue, reaching 171.3 million euros, accounting for 54.3% of all market revenue in Spain. Among them, slot machine revenue increased by 25.9% and live roulette revenue increased by 15.3%. These two items are the main reasons for the growth of the casino market.
• Sports betting revenues reached 114.7 million euros, accounting for 36.4% of total revenues.
• Poker revenues reached €25.4 million, accounting for 8.1% of total revenues.
• Poker and tournaments had a negative change of 0.5% and poker cash was 7.0%.
• Bingo revenues were €3.8 million, or about 1.2% of total revenues.

By analyzing the above data, we can see how popular sports betting is in the Spanish gambling market. Although the total revenue of casinos exceeds that of sports betting, casinos offer more than just one type of game. When a bettor plays online gambling games, he or she may also be interested in casino games. Therefore, in the Spanish gambling market, the popularity of sports betting continues to rise, and it can be said that everyone is a good sports bettor.

Sports betting is mainstream in Spain. Spanish bettors are passionate about all kinds of sports, but football is undoubtedly the most popular. This can be seen from the football culture in Spain. After all, Spain is the country with the best football teams in the world, including the well-known Real Madrid and Barcelona. The popularity of football is also reflected in football leagues at all levels, especially the highest level in Spain - La Liga. At the same time, foreign top football leagues such as the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Serie A, and German Football Bundesliga also attract a large number of Spanish sports bettors.

However, basketball cannot be ignored in terms of viewership and betting volume in Spain. The ACB is the country’s domestic national basketball league and has a large and loyal fan base, while the Spanish national basketball team has performed well in international competitions and has achieved many successes. In addition to football and basketball, handball is another major sport in Spain, with the national team winning the world championship twice and becoming the defending European champion. Other sports such as horse racing, baseball, golf, boxing, and auto racing have a relatively small audience but also have some bettors both domestically and internationally.

Traditional casino games such as roulette and Punto Banco have considerable bets, but blackjack and slot machines are in a close second. The Spanish Christmas lottery, also known as Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad, is the hottest in Spain. It is the world's largest lottery draw, known as the "Fat One" or "El Gordo", with each ticket costing €200 and a jackpot of €2.4 billion.

Are Spanish people averse to gambling?

What is the incidence of sports betting in Spain?

Results of the TGM Sports Betting Survey conducted in Spain in October 2022 - 38.7% of the population have participated in sports betting in the past 12 months

How often do Spanish people typically bet on sports?

Results of the TGM Global Sports Betting Survey, frequency of sports betting outcomes in Spain:

• 21.6% bet on sports several times a week
• 9.5% bet on sports once a month
• 25.54% bet on sports a few times a year or less

What is the main motivation for Spanish people to bet on sports?

In Spain, 44.22% of people bet on sports for the desire to "win money"; 36.41% enjoy the excitement/experience of sports betting. However, participating in sports betting is also considered to bring extra fun to sports fans in Spain; in addition, 28.99% of people are not particularly concerned about the results after betting, they are more interested in watching or following the game.

How do Spanish people bet on sports? Are they more likely to do it online or offline?

Sports betting in Spain is mainly done through the Internet. According to TGM's international survey, 76.67% of sports bettors who participate in sports betting mainly place bets through the Internet or mobile applications.

What e-wallets are used in Spain?

In the daily payment behavior of Spaniards, their favorite payment method is to pay by swiping a card, which has become a norm. However, the latest data shows that in Spain, as many as 78.1% of respondents said that they have paid by mobile phone at least once. This proportion is surprising because it means that most people have tried mobile payment. Not only that, about one-third of the respondents said that they prefer to choose mobile payment as their payment method when shopping in physical stores. This proves that Spaniards are gradually being accepted and used by more and more people for mobile payment. There is no way that the Spanish gambling market is so hot, how can it be without the support of e-wallets?

• Edénred Wallet:It is also very popular in Spain, especially between companies and employees. After all, it is mainly used to manage employee benefits and business expenses.
• PayPal:Currently the most used digital wallet in Spain
• BBVA Wallet:  A mobile payment app provided by BBVA (Spanish Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria).
• CaixaBank Pay:  Mobile payment service provided by CaixaBank.
• Santander Wallet: an e-wallet provided by Santander Bank
• Bizum：A Spanish-specific mobile payment platform that is integrated into many banks’ apps.:
• Apple Pay: A mobile payment method available to Apple users that widely supports online and offline payments.
• Revolut：Popular digital banking app that offers multi-currency accounts and international payment capabilities.
• N26:  A German digital banking app with many users in Spain

Internet in Spain

At the beginning of 2024, the number of Internet users in Spain was 45.58 million, with an Internet penetration rate of 96.0%. There were 39.7 million social media users, accounting for 83.6% of the total population.

As of the beginning of 2024, there were 60.44 million active cellular mobile connections in Spain, a figure equivalent to 127.2% of the total population.

Internet connection speed in Spain

According to the data, at the beginning of 2024, the Internet connection speeds of Spanish Internet users will be as follows:

• The average mobile Internet connection speed on cellular networks was 41.54 Mbps. Average fixed Internet connection speed: 201.08 Mbps.
• Compared to last year, the average mobile Internet connection speed in Spain increased by 5.47 Mbps (+15.2%). Fixed Internet connection speed increased by 34.18 Mbps (+20.5%).

Mobile connections in Spain

By the beginning of 2024, the number of cellular mobile connections in Spain had reached 60.44 million. The number of connections is equivalent to 127.2% of the total population.

The number of mobile connections in Spain increases by 1.9 million between 2023 and 2024 (+3.2%).

Spanish social media statistics

As of January 2024, there are 39.7 million active social media users in Spain. Compared with last year, there are 1 million fewer social media users, or 2.5%. (It is estimated that they are all small or marketing accounts)

The number of social media users is equivalent to 83.6% of the total population, accounting for 35.3 million users aged 18 and above, equivalent to 89.1% of the total population aged 18 and above. It accounts for 87.1% of the total population (regardless of age), of which 51.0% are female and 49.0% are male.

Spanish Facebook users

According to data published by Meta Advertising Resources, Facebook had 19.05 million users in Spain at the beginning of 2024. This is equivalent to 40.1% of the total population. This is 45.2% of the population aged 13 and over. This is equivalent to 41.8% of the local Internet user base (regardless of age), of which 53.7% are female and 46.3% are male.

Facebook’s potential reach in Spain fell by 300,000 (-1.6%) between January 2023 and January 2024.

YouTube users in Spain

Google resources show that as of the beginning of 2024, YouTube has 39.7 million users in Spain. This is equivalent to 83.6% of the total Spanish population. This is 87.1% of all Internet users in Spain. Of these, 51.0% are women and 49.0% are men.

YouTube’s reach in Spain fell by 1 million (-2.5%) between the beginning of 2023 and the beginning of 2024.

Instagram users in Spain

Metadata shows that Instagram had 23.95 million users in Spain at the beginning of 2024. This is equivalent to 50.4% of the total population. This is 56.8% of those aged 13 and above. This is equivalent to 52.5% of the local Internet user base (regardless of age). Of these, 55.3% are women and 44.7% are men.

Between January 2023 and January 2024, Instagram’s reach in Spain increased by 2.1 million (+9.4%).

TikTok users in Spain

According to ByteDance data, at the beginning of 2024, TikTok had 16.74 million users aged 18 and over in Spain. (Because TikTok restricts users over 18 years old to use it) This accounts for 42.2% of adults aged 18 and over. This is equivalent to 36.7% of local Internet users at the beginning of the year, regardless of age. Among them, 51.3% are women and 48.7% are men.

TikTok's potential reach in Spain increased by 112,000 (+0.7%) between the beginning of 2023 and the beginning of 2024

Facebook Messenger users in Spain

Metadata shows that in 2024, there will be 8.7 million users on Facebook Messenger. This is equivalent to 18.3% of the total population. This is equivalent to 19.1% of local Internet users (regardless of age). Of these, 54.9% are female and 45.1% are male

Facebook Messenger’s potential reach in Spain decreased by 350,000 (-3.9%) between January 2023 and January 2024.

Number of WhatsApp users in Spain

At present, the number of WhatsApp users has exceeded 2 billion, covering more than 180 countries around the world. In terms of penetration rate, the penetration rate of WhatsApp in Spain among Internet users aged 16-64 is 88%. Therefore, for gambling platform operators, if they want to open up a promotion method in the Spanish gambling market, WhatsApp should be a good choice.

LinkedIn users in Spain

LinkedIn data shows that by 2024, LinkedIn will have 19 million users in Spain. The audience is equivalent to 40.0% of the total population. It is equivalent to 41.7% of the local Internet user base (but LinkedIn users are all people over 18 years old). 47.4% of them are women and 52.6% are men. From the beginning of 2023 to the beginning of 2024, LinkedIn's potential reach in Spain increased by 2 million (+11.8%).

Number of X users in Spain

X (Twitter) figures show that at the beginning of 2024, X had 11.78 million users in Spain. This is equivalent to 24.8% of the total population at that time. This is 27.9% of the population over 13 years old. This is equivalent to 25.8% of local Internet users. Between the beginning of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, X's potential reach in Spain increased by 926,000 (+8.5%).

Pinterest users in Spain

Pinterest data shows that Pinterest had 9.31 million users in Spain at the beginning of 2024. This is equivalent to 19.6% of the total population. This is equivalent to 22.1% of people aged 13 and over. This is 20.4% of local Internet users at the time. Of these, 69.3% were women and 23.5% were men. Between the beginning of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, Pinterest's reach in Spain increased by 2.3 million (+32.7%).

Summary

In general, Spain's gambling market is developing rapidly, with a large gambling user base and huge market potential. The popularity of the Internet and the convenience of mobile payments provide a good infrastructure for the development of the gambling industry. In the future, it is expected that Spain's gambling market will continue to maintain a steady growth trend.

Although the Spanish gambling market has a promising future, there are also some challenges in gambling operations, such as:

1. Spanish gambling started relatively early, so there may be more competitors than in other target markets.
2. The Spanish-speaking user base is relatively large, so language translation must be localized so as not to make users feel distrustful.
3. Although sports betting is mainstream in Spain, the competition is also fierce, but the profits from roulette and electronic games are also considerable.
4. After years of marketing and promotion of Spanish gambling, it is estimated that the cost of promotion channels will be high. Therefore, how to find a promotional marketing method with its characteristics from social media is also a key consideration for gambling platforms.
5. Analyze the marketing strategies of competitors. Combine your advantages and expand your marketing strategies in multiple directions. After all, after entering the Spanish gambling market, you will face some mature gambling platform operators.

Of course, the Spanish gambling market also has many advantages and highlights.

1. For example, the Spanish-speaking user group is large. Therefore, this is also an advantage after overcoming the local language.
2. The average young age in Spain is 45, and they are all financially capable people.
3. Spain is very enthusiastic about sports, and the people are not averse to gambling.
4. The Internet and online payment are relatively developed, and the urban population is also concentrated.

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