Market Monitor: Spain Q1 2018
Key Takeaways
  • Revenue generated from regulated online poker rooms in Spain leapt in Q1 2018 to €21.5 million, by far the largest quarter on record.
  • On a monthly basis, February and March both set new all time records in total monthly revenue in poker.
  • Online casino continues its meteoric rise, up over 50% year-over-year.

Revenue generated from regulated online poker rooms in Spain leapt in Q1 2018 to €21.5 million, by far the largest quarter on record. It represents year-over-year growth of 42%.

On a monthly basis, rooms generated €6.4 million in January 2018, at the time second only to January 2013 for the largest ever month in the market. This was followed by February and March both setting all new monthly records, each exceeding €7 million for the first time.

The growth was observed in both cash games and tournaments by approximately equal measure. Tournaments represent 61% of the poker market, maintaining the share observed the last few quarters and representing a fractional increase on the 57% in Q1 2017.

Gross gaming revenue across all categories reached €164 million, a slight dip sequentially but growth of 22% year-over-year. Sports, by far the largest product vertical, grew 15% to €81 million. It represents approximately half of the entire igaming market.

But the best performing vertical continued to be online casino, helped by its recent regulation of online slots. It continued its stratospheric growth in Q1 2018, up 51% year-over-year to €65 million. It has grown sequentially every quarter for 14 quarters. Back in 2013 and 2014, when the regulated online gaming industry first opened in Spain, casino games represented less than 17% of the market; in Q1 2018 its share is 35%.