Portugals digital gambling income reached a new peak, hitting €159.1 million, primarily driven by the continuous expansion of online gaming halls.
The total income figure surpassed the previous record of €158.5 million set in the initial quarter, according to information from the regulatory body, the Gaming Regulation and Inspection Service (SRIJ). The total also signifies a 39.3% increase compared to the third quarter of 2021.
The main driver of the record high was online casinos, which also witnessed record income, reaching €89.8 million, comfortably surpassing the €81.8 million recorded in the second quarter, representing a 38.5% year-on-year increase.
Online casino income has been setting new records for five consecutive quarters.
This was fueled by players wagering €2.48 billion on online casino games, also a new record, representing a 39.1% year-on-year increase.
Slot machines were by far the most popular online casino product, accounting for 80.0% of the wagered amount. French roulette came in second, accounting for 7.6% of the wagered amount, followed by blackjack at 4.9% and French bank at 3.6%.
On the other hand, sports betting income increased by 40.1% year-on-year to €69.3 million, but fell short of the record high set in the initial quarter.
In sports betting, the wagered amount increased by 17.3% year-on-year to €3.482 billion, lower than the levels seen in the initial and second quarters.
In Portugal’s wagering marketplace, soccer reigns supreme, accounting for a massive 78% of all wagers. Of all athletic events, the Portuguese Primeira Liga takes the lead with 11% of bets, followed by the Champions League at 10.5% and the English Premier League at 6.2%.
Tennis claims a substantial 17.1% of bets, while all other sports combined only account for 4.9% of the total wagering volume.
**Portuguese Gamblers on the Upswing**
The total number of participants in the market has also reached an all-time high, reaching 771,300, representing an 18.4% year-over-year increase. However, the number of new participants was lower than in the first and second quarters, at 194,700.
Of these 771,300 participants, 36.1% wager exclusively on sports, 29.4% solely on online casino games, and 34.6% wager on both.
The number of participants who have self-excluded has also increased to 138,000.
**Crackdown on Unlawful Gambling**
During this quarter, the SRIJ (Portuguese Gambling Authority) ordered internet service providers to block 63 websites belonging to unlawful gambling companies and instructed 60 operators to shut down their websites.
Simultaneously, the SRIJ submitted a report to the Public Prosecutor’s Office to pursue criminal charges against one unlawful operator.
It also ordered the removal of 130 online videos promoting unlawful gambling websites.
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