The DGOJ publishes its quarterly report
The report on the online gambling market corresponding to the period April-June 2020 has been published by the Directorate General for Gaming Regulation (DGOJ). Relevant data at a turbulent time for the entire gaming and online betting sector, in the midst of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. The DGOJ recognizes the social and economic impact of COVID-19 and the measures taken by the government to contain the pandemic, and this is reflected in the report.
The quarterly reports of the DGOJ are a good source of data to take a pulse of the Spanish online gambling and sports betting market. This year marked by the coronavirus crisis. ©ColiN00B/Pixabay
The report of the DGOJ for the second quarter of the year comes in the midst of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic and it reflects the social and economic situation caused by the first measures of generalized confinement implemented by the government of New Zealand. It is a good barometer of the current situation of the Spanish online game , which despite adverse circumstances continues to demonstrating great dynamism .
Casino games on the rise
In the online casino segment, growth stands out for the period analyzed in the report. Regarding the first quarter of 2020, the increase stands at 22.55% . As responsible for this growth are the slots and the live roulette , with quarterly variations of 19.88 and 28.92% respectively.
It is noteworthy that the behavior of live games , which had been pointed out as one of the most benefited segments during the COVID-19 confinement and due to the suspension of sports competitions that led to a break in betting .
In fact, according to the DGOJ report, it is observed that the market share of online casino games is higher than that of sports betting . This is a significant development that breaks with the trend observed so far , in which betting was the highest-earning gaming segment.
We have no doubt that this is a purely conjunctural development . It would remain to be seen if with a recovery in sports betting the income that comes from the casino games they continue to rise or their growth stops.
Gross revenue by segment
The report also highlights the situation of bingo, as there is a strong growth of almost 67% compared to the same quarter the previous year. Even more this is the case with poker , with an increase of 57.84% compared to the previous quarter and an increase of almost 98% if we refer to the same quarter last year. The pandemic and confinement may be behind this resurgence of online poker .
In terms of gross revenues, the report highlights the 93.54 million euros generated by online casinos , followed by sports betting with 68.15 million euros. Poker contributes a not inconsiderable figure of 38.2 million euros, or 18.29%.
Sports betting on the downside
The sample period has been particularly difficult for the sports betting segment , which has seen how the main national competitions stopped precisely during the second quarter of 2020. In addition, the new legislation on operator advertising proposed by the Minister Garzón does not precisely help to stabilize a sector that has suffered considerable losses .
The decline in betting has been remarkable. If we compare the same quarters in previous years, its rate was around 50%; now for the April-June 2020 period it drops to 32.63%, which means a decrease of almost 40% compared to the previous quarter .
It is noteworthy that the monthly average of active gaming accounts also decreases, with a decrease of almost 30% with respect to the previous quarter.
Valuation
In general, it can be noted that the social and economic effects of the pandemic have been noticeable in casino games and, above all, in the sports betting segment. For example, it is noted in the report of the DGOJ a sharp decline in marketing expenses , 65.65%, which is the effect of the restrictive policies taken from the government with the restrictions on commercial communications of the operators.
However, although gross revenues in the entire sector have decreased by 4.18% compared to the previous quarter, it is noteworthy that increase by 17.71% relative to the same quarter the previous year . The online gaming sector in New Zealand continues this way with a positive growth trend that we hope will continue for the good of the industry.
