In the third quarter, Portugal's total online gambling revenue reached EUR 266.3 million (GBP 220.9 million/USD 273.8 million). This represents a 23.7% increase from the third quarter of 2023 and a 1.7% increase from the previous record set in the second quarter of 2024.
Online Casino Revenue Hits New High of EUR 175.1 Million
Data from the regulatory body Serviço de Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ) indicates that this growth was driven by the online casino sector. In this regard, total revenue grew by 31.2% year-on-year, reaching a new historical high of EUR 175.1 million, which is also 10.5% higher than the second quarter.
In the third quarter, online casino gaming expenditure reached EUR 4.87 billion, setting a new record, with a growth of 33.7% from 2023 and an increase of 11.6% from the second quarter.
Slot machines have been the most popular online casino game in Portugal for some time. In the third quarter, slot machines attracted 80.4% of the bets, surpassing French roulette (6.1%), dice game French bank (5.5%), and blackjack (4.5%).
Sports Betting Revenue Declines Sequentially
Despite the continued steady growth of the online casino market, SRIJ noted a decline in the sports betting sector.
In the third quarter, total online sports betting revenue amounted to EUR 91.2 million. This is an 11.4% increase from the previous year, but 11.7% less than the EUR 103.3 million recorded in the second quarter of 2024.
Sports betting expenditure grew by 23.8% year-on-year to EUR 483.4 million. Interestingly, this was also 4.6% higher than the second quarter, but not enough to drive revenue above the previous quarter.
In the third quarter, football accounted for 72.7% of all online sports betting in Portugal. Tennis was second with a 21.2% share, with the remaining 6.1% spread across other sports.
Over 4.5 Million Players Gambling Online in Portugal
Looking back at player behavior in the third quarter, about 4.5 million people gambled online. This is a 16.9% increase from the same period in 2023 and a 3.4% increase from the second quarter.
In the third quarter, approximately 269,800 new players registered, while 117,400 players canceled their online gambling accounts. The 25-34 age group remains the most active online, accounting for 34.3% of all registered players. However, the largest group of new registrants in the third quarter (30.9%) were players aged 18 to 24.
About 47,600 players chose self-exclusion this quarter, while 28,600 users had their exclusion period end. Thus, by the end of the third quarter, the total number of excluded consumers was 276,200, a year-on-year increase of 40.5%.
Furthermore, the regulatory body SRIJ noted that closure notices had been issued to 47 websites deemed to be in violation of regulations.
