In 2023, 21 gaming halls were registered as betting venues in the Basque Country, 14 fewer than in 2018.
Spain.- A report presented by the Basque Gaming Observatory (OVJ) shows a reduction in the number of betting venues and licensed gaming halls in the Basque Country. The study records a decrease in licenses from 2018 to 2023.
According to the OVJ's study on gaming indicators, in 2018 there were 35 gaming halls registered as betting venues, while in 2023 there were 21. Additionally, in 2018 there were 33 betting venues themselves, while in 2023 the figure was 27. The number of gaming halls remained constant, with 209 establishments, one less than six years ago.
Meanwhile, during the third quarter of 2024, the number of bets made exceeded 8 million, an increase of 5.5 percent compared to the same period the previous year. The total revenue of the sector also experienced an increase, from EUR88.8m in 2022 to EUR100m in the third quarter of 2024, a rise of 12.6 percent.
Furthermore, the net value of the bets saw an approximate increase of 5 percent over the last year. From a broader perspective, the revenue-to-prize ratio has increased from the third quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2024, moving from EUR9.3 to EUR10.4 on average.
On the other hand, the self-exclusion system in the Basque Country recorded a 50.4 percent increase in registrations over the last year. From 2,752 people registered in 2023, the number rose to 4,139 in 2024, mostly men.
See also: The Basque Country includes a gender perspective in studies on problem gambling
Meanwhile, the Basque Gaming Observatory published a report detailing the trends and changes in the gaming sector in the Basque Country from 2019 to 2023. The study analyzed the volume of privately managed sports betting, the amounts played in the ONCE, and the inspections carried out.
In 2023, the volume of sports betting in the Basque Country was EUR373m, a decrease of 2.4 percent compared to the previous year. The province of Bizkaia had the highest volume of bets, with EUR$189.9m. It was followed by Gipuzkoa and Álava, with volumes of EUR125m and EUR58m, respectively.
The Association of Recreational Businessmen of Bizkaia (ASERBI) organized an informative day that brought together more than 60 businessmen from the gaming sector. The event, held at the headquarters of the Confederation of Businessmen of Bizkaia (CEBEK), focused on recent regulations regarding converter machines.
