Revenue Numbers from Spain, France Highlight Online Poker's Transformation Under Coronavirus Last Year Revenue Numbers from Spain, France Highlight Online Poker's Transformation Under Coronavirus Last Year
Key Takeaways
  • It is by far the best performing year in market history, and one of the best annual growth rates ever observed.
  • This dramatic transformation is perhaps no clearer than the data released from the regulators of France and Spain.
  • The surge of interest in poker was not restricted to just a few weeks in late spring.
  • The best signals yet suggest that many players continue to enjoy their newfound online poker entertainment, one year on.

Revenue numbers from regulated operators in two of Europe’s largest online poker markets show the dramatic transformation of the industry over the last year. It is one that saw revenue more than double in late spring, subside in the back half of the year, but ultimately show a surprising resilience all the way through to the end of the year.

Revenue from online poker in Spain in 2020 reached €110 million last year. In France, gross gaming revenue hit €447 million. In each case, it is by far the best performing year in market history, and one of the best annual growth rates ever observed.

Of course, 2020 was unlike any other year on record. By the second quarter of the year, the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing across the globe, with quarantine and lockdown measures in place nearly everywhere.

The impact this had on the online gaming industry—and the online poker industry, in particular—has already been documented here on PRO in detail: The initial traffic surge in March; the plateau in April; its return to earth in May.

PRO has also explored the signals of lingering long-term retention. Earlier this month, we looked at this transformation through the lens of global dot-com operators, painting a picture through their financial results, cash game traffic, and tournament performance.

However, this dramatic transformation is perhaps no clearer than the data released from the regulators of France and Spain, which released Q4 and full year revenue earlier this month.