A new study found that Spain had the smallest rate of problematic gambling in Europe in 2020. While there was a big drop in traditional gambling, online gambling didn’t see a noticeable rise.
The report said that, based on the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), 0.25% of the Spanish population was considered to have problematic gambling habits.
The research showed that this percentage was the lowest in Europe, equal to Denmark.
The report also pointed out that in 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak caused a significant decrease in the physical gambling industry. The total number of people who gambled in casinos, bingo halls, gaming rooms, betting shops, or slot machines dropped by 50%, reaching 3.8 million, roughly 11% of the adult population.
However, despite the decrease in physical gambling, the report found that online gambling didn’t see a similar increase. The number of online players stayed at around 1.5 million.
The survey also discovered that the majority of Spanish adults (80%)…
In Spain, a mere 9% of grown-ups partake in some form of wagering, although this figure has decreased by 4% from its peak in 2013.
The Cejuego trade organization asserts that this demonstrates that gambling is a prevalent activity for the majority of Spanish adults.
The report also discovered that entertainment or socializing are the primary reasons for taking part in games of chance.
Lottery games are the most widely enjoyed form of gambling, with the well-known Christmas lottery (Gordo) boasting a participation rate of 70.8%, encompassing approximately 24.5 million individuals. El Niño and La Primitiva lotteries follow closely, succeeded by ONCE scratch cards.
The report highlights that scratch cards are particularly favored among younger participants, with the majority of players under the age of 35, yet the proportion of adult players has declined from 9.9% to 9.4%.
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