Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) for the year in the finance sector amounted to €850.7m (£726.3m/$998.0m), showing an increase compared to the previous year’s €748.2m. The primary source of GGR for operators continued to be sports wagering, though it experienced a 7.1% decline to €365.1m. On the other hand, casino GGR increased by 33.7% to reach €350.8m, while poker GGR saw a 35.8% increase to €110.3m. Bingo GGR also climbed by 40.8% to €16.5m, and contests revenue soared by 185.7% to €8.0m. Online gambling expenditure by players amounted to €21.60bn, with a 15.0% increase from the previous year’s €18.78bn. The number of active accounts grew by 16.0% to 2.9 million, and there were 1.5 million active players, showing an 8.8% year-on-year increase. Marketing spending from operators rose by 24.2% to €462.1m in 2020 which included advertising expenses of €199.7m, promotions spending of €197.3m, affiliate costs reaching €38.5m, and sponsorship expenses of €26.6m.
In the fourth quarter, GGR amounted to €231.2m, which was an increase of 20.0% compared to the third quarter of 2020. Sports betting remained the primary revenue source for operators in the quarter, contributing €103.5m, representing 44.8% of the total GGR. Casino GGR followed in second with €97.8m, accounting for 42.3% of overall revenue in Q4, while poker GGR amounted to €24.9m. Bingo GGR reached €3.9m, and contests added €1.1m in revenue. Stakes during the quarter totaled €6.65bn, with casino stakes being the highest at €3.43bn, followed by sports betting with €2.50bn. The total amount spent by consumers on deposits with gambling operators during the quarter was €1.07bn, showing a 31.8% increase compared to the previous year. Withdrawals also increased, with players taking out a total of €840.7m, which was 32.6% higher than in the fourth quarter of 2019. Marketing spend by operators in Spain during Q4 amounted to €148.8m, reflecting a 24.5% increase compared to the previous year. This included €71.0m for advertising, €56.3m for promotions, €12.2m for affiliation expenses, and €9.2m for sponsorship. The monthly average of active game accounts showed an 8.1% year-on-year increase to 1,051,139, while the monthly average of new game accounts saw a rise of 18.9% to 391,510. By the end of the quarter, there were a total of 80 licensed operators active in the country, including 51 offering casino services, 46 offering betting services, nine offering poker games, three offering bingo, and two offering contests.
