Regulator data reveals youth dominance, rising spending, and growth in betting and casino games
DGOJ Reports Significant Growth in Active Players
Spain’s Directorate-General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ) has released its comprehensive 2024 player activity report, revealing a substantial 21.6% increase in the number of active online gamblers year-on-year. The number of active players reached 1,991,550, edging close to the two-million mark, signaling a maturing and rapidly expanding digital gambling market.
The report highlighted a notable gender imbalance, with 83.15% of players identifying as male and just 16.85% as female. The dominant age group remains 18 to 45, which collectively represents 85.7% of the total player base—suggesting that the Spanish online gambling ecosystem continues to be youth-driven.
Betting and Casino Games Dominate Player Preferences
Among various forms of gaming, sports betting remains the most popular, engaging 1.57 million users, an increase of 25.4% from 2023. Meanwhile, casino games posted the highest growth rate at 29.2%, while poker participation rose by 13%.
Despite the rising player count, most users (52%) engaged in just one type of game, with betting and casino games taking the lead. This trend reflects continued platform specialisation and user preferences for familiar formats over multi-vertical participation.
Player Expenditure and Profitability Insights
The average annual spend per player was €706, which breaks down to €13.57 per week. However, expenditure varied sharply by gender and age. Men spent €740 annually, significantly more than women at €538. Notably, players aged 46–55 were the highest spenders, averaging €1,146 annually, whereas those 18–25 spent only €299, reinforcing age-based income influence on gambling habits.
On profitability, 21.3% of users ended the year with net winnings, though just 5% secured prizes exceeding €489. Meanwhile, 35% of players lost more than €147, reinforcing the house edge typical in regulated markets.
Industry Revenue and Marketing Push
This uptick in player activity mirrored trends in financial performance. Spain’s Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) surged by 17.6% to reach €1.45 billion ($1.58bn). Alongside this, player deposits and withdrawals also rose significantly—by 19.6% and 19.7%, respectively—signalling healthier liquidity and confidence in platforms.
However, the most notable shift came in marketing expenditure, which jumped by 30.4% to €526.3 million. While this likely contributed to the influx of new players, the growth in players (21.6%) was not proportional to this spend, suggesting diminishing returns on marketing investments or more cautious consumer engagement.
Looking Ahead: Policy Focus on Player Protection
Amid this growth, the DGOJ has also presented its Safe Gambling Program 2026–2030, which aims to strengthen consumer protection and improve gambling behavior analysis. The regulator has given the Responsible Gambling Advisory Council until August 2025 to review and provide feedback, as Spain balances market expansion with increased oversight and harm minimisation.
The 2024 player data shows a healthy, growing gambling sector but underscores the need for targeted regulatory reforms—especially around youth engagement, advertising effectiveness, and responsible gaming frameworks.
