Spanish online slots launch boosts female participation in regulated market

Spain’s regulated online gambling market remains a male-dominated space but the number of female gamblers enjoyed a significant spike last year.

According to a new report by Spanish gaming regulator Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), men still make up 83% of those who gamble with Spanish-licensed sites, but the number of females participating in the market rose 53.5% in 2015, a surge undoubtedly attributable to the mid-year addition of slots as an online option.

Not surprisingly, the casino vertical enjoyed the largest year-on-year participation gains, rising 80.4% in 2015. Bingo posted the second largest gain (37.6%), narrowly edging out sports betting (34.4%), while poker (predictably) saw participation levels fall 2.1%.

Active player accounts with Spanish-licensed operators totaled 985k in 2015. The monthly average number of active players was up 16.2% but their average playing time fell 2.7%. Some 70% of active players held accounts with just one Spanish operator.