Portugals digital gaming income expanded by 23.6% annually in the initial three months, as per the nation’s regulatory body, the Gaming Regulation and Inspection Service of Portugal Tourism (SRIJ).
The income for the three-month period ending in March amounted to €158.6 million (£135.3 million/$161.7 million), a rise from €128.3 million during the same period the previous year.
Digital casino income in the quarter reached €80.9 million, a 37.6% surge from €58.8 million in the first quarter of 2021, while online sports wagering income also climbed by 11.8% to €77.7 million.
Regarding player expenditures, consumers wagered a total of €2.21 billion on online casinos during the three months, a 37.3% year-on-year increase, while online sports betting stakes declined by 12.8% to €369.4 million.
Analyzing player gambling patterns, 78.1% of total online casino stakes were placed on slot machines, 8.8% on French roulette, and 5.1% on blackjack.
In sports betting, 69.9% of all online stakes were placed on soccer, with basketball and tennis each accounting for 12.4%, and the remaining 5.3% distributed across other sports.
Other noteworthy data for the initial three months included the creation of 215,600 new online gambling accounts during the period, a 34% decrease.
Over the initial three-month period, the count of individuals who voluntarily barred themselves from regulated online wagering decreased by 6% annually, reaching 118,900.
Furthermore, the SRIJ indicated that it blocked access to an additional 71 unauthorized websites, while another 82 websites were instructed to halt their operations within the nation.
Regarding land-based gambling, income experienced a 7.2% year-over-year decline, settling at €53.9 million during the quarter.
Of this sum, gaming machine income amounted to €43.9 million, representing 81.4% of total revenue for the quarter, while table game income reached €9.4 million, and bingo and non-banked poker revenue totaled €663,950.
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