The Independent Association of Recreational Machine Operating Companies of Catalonia, Europer, has published the results of its third barometer on the situation of the recreational sector. The objective of this analysis is to provide a greater understanding of the business reality in the recreational field for the economic world, the Administration and society in general.
7 out of 10 recreational companies have been harmed when requesting financing for their business because they are linked to the gaming sector.
This survey, carried out in March 2024, included the participation of 406 Catalan companies, 93% of which are SMEs. According to the results, 72.7% of companies in the recreational sector have experienced difficulties when applying for financing due to their association with gambling.
Albert Sola, president of Europer, expressed his concern about this data and noted: "We hope that these prejudices towards companies in our sector will soon disappear, since we strictly comply with the law and, therefore, we should have the same rights as any another industry”.
Regarding the evolution of business during the first quarter of the year, 54.5% of companies reported positive progress, while 36.4% remained stable and only 9.1% experienced a decline. These results represent an improvement over the previous quarter, where only 37.5% reported positive progress.
Regarding workforce growth expectations for the second half of 2024, 81.8% of companies plan to keep their staff stable, 9.1% anticipate growth and another 9.1% anticipate a decrease. These figures are similar to those of the previous quarter, suggesting a stable trend in the sector.
Albert Sola concluded: "These are encouraging data for companies in the gaming sector, and we hope that this positive trend will continue throughout 2024."
