Portugals internet gambling income hit a new peak of €159.1 million, exceeding the previous high set in the initial period. This is primarily due to the continued expansion of online gaming halls.
The total income surpassed the previous record of €158.5 million established in the initial period, according to information from the regulatory body, the Gambling Regulation and Inspection Service (SRIJ). This total also signifies a 39.3% rise compared to the total recorded in the third period of 2021.
Online gaming halls were the primary driver of the record high, with income in this sector also reaching a new peak of €89.8 million, comfortably exceeding the €81.8 million recorded in the second period, representing a 38.5% year-over-year increase.
Online casino income has reached a new high for the fifth consecutive period.
This is due to players placing €2.48 billion in wagers on online casino games, also a record figure, representing a 39.1% year-over-year increase.
Slot machines are by far the most popular online casino product, accounting for 80.0% of wagers placed. French roulette follows closely behind, accounting for 7.6% of wagers, while blackjack accounts for 4.9% and French bank accounts for 3.6%.
On the other hand, sports betting income grew by 40.1% year-over-year to €69.3 million, but fell short of the record high set in the initial period.
In sports betting, the amount wagered increased by 17.3% year-over-year to €348.2 million, lower than the levels seen in the initial and second periods.
Portuguese athletes are primarily concentrated on soccer wagering, accounting for 78.0% of all wagers. When broken down by competition, 11% of bets are placed on the Portuguese top-flight league, 10.5% on the European Champions League, and 6.2% on the English top-flight league.
Tennis comes in a close second at 17.1%, while all other sporting events combined make up only 4.9% of bets.
Number of Portuguese Athletes
The total number of participants in the market has also reached an all-time peak, hitting 771,300, an 18.4% increase year-over-year. However, the number of new participants was lower than in the first and second quarters, at just 194,700.
Of these 771,300 participants, 36.1% bet only on sporting events, 29.4% only on online casino games, and 34.6% bet on both.
The number of self-excluded participants has also increased to 138,000.
Illegal Gambling
During this quarter, the SRIJ also ordered internet service providers to block 63 websites belonging to unlawful gambling companies, while also ordering 60 operators to shut down their websites.
Meanwhile, the SRIJ submitted a report to the Public Prosecutor’s Office to initiate criminal proceedings against one unlawful operator.
It also ordered the removal of 130 online videos promoting unlawful gambling websites.
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