Portugals digital wagering earnings achieved a new peak in the third quarter, hitting €215.3 million (£185.6 million/$235.4 million), driven by record figures in the online gambling sector.
Portugals digital gambling revenue in the third quarter reached a new high of €215.3 million, a 4.6% increase from the prior quarter. Total market income for the three months ending September 30, 2023, surpassed the €122 million recorded in the second quarter. The third-quarter figure also represents a 36.1% rise from the €158.2 million generated in Portugal during the same period in 2022.
Earnings from online games of chance in the third quarter were approximately €133.4 million, a 50.5% year-on-year increase. This is a new segment record and also accounts for 62.0% of all digital gambling revenue for the quarter.
Consumers spent €3.65 billion on this form of gambling in the third quarter, a 47.2% year-on-year increase, another new record for Portugal. Slot machines accounted for 82.3% of total spending, followed by French roulette at 6.4% and blackjack at 6.2%.
Despite the overall growth in Portugals online revenue, the sports wagering market continues to decline.
Sports betting revenue in the third quarter was €81.9 million. This is up 17.7% from the previous year but down 2.5% from the second quarter, marking the third consecutive quarterly decline.
Player spending on online sports betting increased by 12.1% year-on-year to €390.5 million. Of this total, 71.4% of bets were placed on football, followed by 22.
The Portuguese Gaming Oversight and Inspection Agency (SRIJ) has unveiled statistics for the third quarter, revealing that online gambling income expanded by 6.4%, with racquet sports contributing 2% and other athletic activities contributing the remainder.
By the conclusion of the third quarter, 196,600 players had voluntarily excluded themselves from online gambling, representing a 42.5% surge compared to the same period in 2022, as indicated by the third-quarter data.
Simultaneously, approximately 205,200 new online registrations were reported during the quarter. A reported 97,800 accounts were deactivated in the third quarter. At the end of the three-month period, Portugal boasted 3.9 million active online gambling accounts.
Furthermore, the SRIJ stated that 23 websites were directed to halt illicit operations in the third quarter.
**Traditional Gambling Revenue Also Experienced Growth in Portugal**
In addition to online gambling, revenue derived from the land-based gambling sector also exhibited growth. Land-based gambling revenue reached €76.1 million in the third quarter, marking a 14.0% year-over-year increase.
Of this sum, €57.2 million originated from land-based slot machines, representing a 1.0% rise from the corresponding period last year, accounting for 75.1% of total revenue in the third quarter. The remaining €18.9 million stemmed from casino-style and bingo games, which experienced a 35.6% surge.
Baccarat betting generated €5.9 million in revenue during the third quarter, American roulette yielded €5.8 million, and blackjack generated €3.3 million.
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