The scale of the gambling industry

The Spanish gambling industry is a large multi-component market where state lotteries (SELAE/ONCE), the private offline sector (casinos, bingozals, slot machines, retail betting) and online gambling under the control of the national regulator DGOJ converge. In dock and post-dock years, the total GGR (operator margin) in the country is kept at a very high level on a sustainable basis and historically exceeded €10 billion per year (according to industry yearbooks).

Key numbers and trends

Historical level> €10 billion GGR. CEJUEGO estimates that the "real game" (equivalent to GGR) in 2022 amounted to ≈ €10.2 billion (including public and private segments). This confirms the scale of the industry in "normal" years without extraordinary restrictions.

2024: recovery, but below the top ten. According to Memoria de Actividad del Juego 2024, the total market GGR (the entire ecosystem) has exceeded €8.1 billion, which clearly shows the ongoing post-pandemic pullback, but not yet back to its peak.

Online sector - record 2024. DGOJ recorded €1.45 billion GGR online in 2024 (+ 17.6% YoY) - the historical maximum of the "digit" share in the market structure.

How the GGR "pie" works in Spain

1. State lotteries (SELAE and ONCE).

The largest component of aggregate GGR. During the years of peak demand (Christmas circulations of El Gordo, "El Niño," etc.), the contribution of goslotheres is critical to overcome the threshold of €10 billion. According to CEJUEGO, in 2022 the "public" part gave ≈ €4.86 billion GGR.

2. Private offline sector.

Casinos, bingozals, slot machine salons, bar machines ("B"), retail bets. Together - a part of the market comparable to the state lottery in the "peak" years. In 2022, the private segment (offline + online) gave ≈ a total of €5.31 billion GGR, of which offline is the lion's share.

3. Online gambling (nat. DGOJ licenses).

The fastest growing component of recent years: €1.45 billion GGR in 2024 (≈ 18% YoY). Inside - online casino/roulette/slots and bets.

Why in the title "more than €10 billion"

The CEJUEGO technique ("real game" = GGR) shows that in 2022 the total Spanish market exceeded €10 billion, almost returning to the dock level of 2019. This consolidated the thesis about the "ten billion" scale of the industry.

After 2022, the picture has become mixed: offline continues to "win back" traffic, and online is accelerating. In 2024, the total GGR> €8 billion, namely online reached a historic maximum of €1.45 billion. Thus, the "ten" is a realistic historical bar to which the market is able to return under favorable macro and regulatory conditions.

Structural growth drivers

Lottery culture. The steady flow of demand for SELAE/ONCE (Christmas and weekly circulations) smooths out the cyclical nature of the rest of the market.

Online digitalization. Acceleration of "numbers" after the 2020s, UX mobile and live content in casino verticals. The online GGR 2024 record is a clear confirmation.

Tourism and offline infrastructure. Peak seasons in seaside regions and metropolitan areas support casino/parlor/bingo revenue.

Regulatory fluctuations. 2020 advertising restrictions and partial easing after 2024 decisions affected the demand and marketing trajectory. (Context - by open sources DGOJ and business press.)

What it means for the market

The industry is systemically large. Even off-peak years produce billions of dollars, and historical peaks> €10 billion GGR confirm the "heavy" role of the sector in the economy.

Online bias. The share of "numbers" is growing, reaching €1.45 billion in 2024, which strengthens the requirements for KYC/RG and UX quality.

Lottery dependency. SELAE/ONCE - "anchor" of cumulative GGR; their dynamics determine whether the year will be "around 8-9 billion" or "again closer to 10 +."

FAQ

Is it true that the market is "always" more than €10 billion?

No, it isn't. "Ten" is a historically achievable level (for example, 2022). In 2024, the total GGR is over €8 billion, online - €1.45 billion, and the rest is given by lotteries and offline.

Is online already half the market?

Not just yet. Online is growing rapidly (record 2024), but goslotherei and private offline still form a significant share.

What sources are considered reference by numbers?

By Online Market - DGOJ (Annual/Quarterly Reviews). By aggregate market (including lotteries and offline) - CEJUEGO industry yearbooks and summarizing materials on Memoria de Actividad del Juego.

The Spanish gambling industry is a multibillion-dollar market, where the bar is historically reached> €10 billion GGR per year (2019/2022), and the online segment has updated its maximum (€1.45 billion in 2024). The nearest dynamics will depend on the trajectory of lotteries, tourism and the regulatory framework, but the foundation of the "large" scale remains unchanged.