Dimitris Kouimtsidis
ONLINE gambling has shot up by 78% and people are spending twice as much money as they did five years ago.
In 2018, 1.47 million people enjoyed a flutter online, a figure that represents 3% of the population in Spain.
Of these, 300,000 were new users, according to the online player profile reports produced by the General Directorate of Game Management.
The average expenditure per player has also risen in the past five years, from €243 to €449.
At the same time, the amount paid out in winnings has also dropped.
In the past five years, for every €100 they receive, the gambling firms return 92.%, in comparison to 95.7% in 2014.
The major decline in returns is in sports betting, as in 2014 the average return was 94.6%, whereas it has now dropped almost seven points.
Female participation has increased increased over time, as in 2014 they represented 13% of the total participants, that figure has now risen to 16.75%.
On the other hand, online players are getting older.
In 2014 88.4% of them were under 46, that figure has now been reduced to 83.46%.
