In the second quarter of 2024, the online gaming and betting sector in Portugal saw a notable increase, with gross revenue reaching €261.8 million, representing an increase of 27.1% compared to the previous year. This growth is underlined by a notable increase in the number of Brazilian players, who now make up more than half of the foreign player base. The Special Tax on Online Gaming also showed a significant increase, reflecting an expanding and booming market.
The Special Tax on Online Gambling (IEJO) raised 76.7 million euros, an increase of 29.5% compared to the same period in 2023.
Bets volume growth between 2022-2023
Total graphic from 2020-2024
1. Gross Collection and Betting Volume The betting volume in sports betting at odds was 462.3 million euros, which represented an increase of 29.3% compared to the second quarter of 2023, although there was a decrease of 19.5% compared to the previous quarter.
On the other hand, the betting volume in games of chance reached 4,366.8 million euros, showing an increase of 34.7% compared to the period of the previous year.
2. Revenue by Game Category Sports Betting at Odds: Gross revenue was 103.3 million euros, representing an increase of 23.1% compared to the second quarter of 2023 and an increase of 2.8% compared to the previous quarter. Games of Chance: Gross revenue reached 158.5 million euros, with a growth of 29.9% compared to the same period of the previous year, although it experienced a slight decrease of 1.1% compared to the previous quarter.
3. Activity by Betting Type As for sports betting at odds, football was the type with the highest volume of bets, representing almost 70% of the total. Tennis bets accounted for 20% of the total, while basketball represented approximately 7%. In games of chance, slot machine bets represented 82.3% of the total, followed by French roulette with 6.5%.
4. Player Registration The total number of player registrations reached 4.4 million, representing an increase of 16.2% compared to the previous year. During the quarter, 287.6 thousand new players were registered and 256.9 thousand players excluded themselves from online gaming.
5. Nationality and Area of Residence 95.2% of registered players are Portuguese. Among foreign players, Brazilians account for 51.6%. The districts of Porto and Lisbon have the highest number of registered players, with 21.2% and 21.1% respectively.
6. Combating Illegal Gambling In the second quarter of 2024, 38 notifications were made for the closure of illegal operators and 93 websites were notified for blocking. In addition, 3 reports were made to the Public Prosecutor's Office for the opening of legal proceedings related to illegal gambling.
