Portugals internet gambling profits increased by 23.6 percent in the initial three months of the year, according to a document released by the nation’s gambling regulator, the SRIJ.
The document indicated that profits reached €158.6 million (£135.3 million/$161.7 million) in the three months ending March, up from €128.3 million in the same period last year.
Internet casino profits reached €80.9 million in the quarter, up 37.6 percent from €58.8 million in the first quarter of 2021, while internet sports wagering profits also increased by 11.8 percent to €77.7 million.
In terms of player spending, customers wagered a total of €22.1 billion on online casinos in the three months, up 37.3 percent year-on-year, while internet sports wagering decreased by 12.8 percent to €3.694 billion.
Breaking down player gambling habits, 78.1 percent of total internet casino stakes were placed on slots, 8.8 percent on French roulette and 5.1 percent on blackjack.
In sports wagering, 69.9 percent of all internet bets were placed on football, with basketball and tennis accounting for 12.4 percent each, and the remaining 5.3 percent spread across other sports.
Other notable figures for the first quarter include the opening of 215,600 new online gambling accounts during the period, down 34 percent year-on-year.
Over the past year, ending in the initial three-month period, the count of individuals who voluntarily barred themselves from regulated online wagering experienced a reduction of 6%, settling at 118,900.
Additionally, the SRIJ effectively shut down 71 unauthorized internet domains and issued directives for an additional 82 websites to discontinue their operations within the nation.
The income generated from physical gambling witnessed a year-over-year decline of 7.2%, reaching €53.9 million.
Of this sum, €43.9 million originated from slot machines, representing 81.4% of the total earnings for the quarter, €9.4 million stemmed from table games, and €663,950 was derived from bingo and non-bank poker.
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