Spain's Gambling Habits: 83.9% of Adults Participated in 2022

Spain's love for gambling remains unwavering as revealed by CeJuego's annual report for 2022. This report, based on the Game and Society survey, has unveiled some intriguing insights into the gambling preferences of Spanish adults.

While a substantial 29.5 million Spaniards engaged in gambling, they appeared to favor low-risk games offering modest rewards. Over 23.3 million individuals participated in national lotteries, ONCE games, or La Quinela, enjoying the thrill of a potential jackpot.

A notable 17.9% of Spaniards chose to test their luck in casinos, gaming halls, and bingo halls, and indulged in sports betting, constituting a substantial 6.3 million individuals. However, these numbers still lag behind leisure activities such as attending the theater, which attracted 24.5% of the population. Gambling, though, surpassed activities like painting (16.1%) and playing musical instruments (9.6%).

Alejandro Landaluce, the General Director of CeJuego, emphasized that gambling is just one of many leisure activities. He noted, "Users maintain the same relationship with the game that they can have with the practice of other forms of leisure."

Not everyone in Spain is a fan of gambling. Around 5.6 million people chose not to gamble at all in 2022. The report also highlighted that 15%-20% of Spaniards were hesitant to participate due to factors like religious beliefs and concerns about losing money. This group often includes young people under 25 and those from low-income households.

The report uncovered some gender disparities, with 14.3% of men participating in the National Lottery weekly in 2022, as compared to 12.3% of women. In the case of the El Niño Lottery, participation was almost equally split between men and women over the last three years. The report indicated that this lottery appealed to a significant portion of those facing financial difficulties.

As Spain emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, CeJuegos reported a return to normalcy in the gambling industry. During the lockdown, the country temporarily restricted gambling advertising to the hours of 1am to 5am. This decision was in response to increased gambling activity during the lockdowns. CeJuegos' report shows that gambling activity levels rebounded in 2022, reaching 83.9%, surpassing the figures from 2020 and 2021, which were significantly affected by the pandemic.

The Spanish gambling scene continues to evolve, and CeJuego's annual report provides invaluable insights into the nation's gaming habits and preferences.