Latest News
New Figures Show How Online Gambling Continues to Grow in Portugal
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Whether they’re playing casino games on their mobile during the morning commute, having a flutter while watching the big match or even taking their first steps into betting on the ever-growing world of eSports, it seems a huge number of people across the world are embracing online gambling as a pastime at the moment.
The activity appears to be in such rude health at present and the development of online services in recent decades has undoubtedly boosted its availability. This has taken it from an offline pastime enjoyed by those prepared to venture to “land-based” outlets to a whole new level, where anyone can access it at any time and from anywhere. However, if there is one continent where it appears to be thriving more than ever, it is probably in Europe.
A major impact
Research released by the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) at the end of last year undoubtedly put a spotlight on this issue, with the organisation revealing that its members had more than 12 million active customers in 2017. It also found that while online gambling had a 20.7 per cent share of total EU gambling activity, this figure is expected to grow to almost 25 per cent by 2020.
In terms of the most popular forms of the pastime, sports betting led the way with casino games following just behind. Other notable activities included lottery, poker and bingo, while overall the economic size of the online sector in the EU is expected to reach €24.7 billion by 2020. These numbers are somewhat staggering.
The EGBA study is undoubtedly eye-opening and highlights the huge impact that the gambling industry has had in Europe in recent years, but more recent figures have brought the spotlight onto the state of play in one country in particular – Portugal.
Growing in popularity
Online gambling has only been available in the country for a few years, but it has quickly grown to become very popular. A site like casino.pt is a good example of this, as it shows the sheer range of online casino sites operating in Portugal and provides information and reviews on the services that they provide. The spread of such sites perhaps contributes to the popularity increase, offering bettors a fast way of finding reliable platforms.
Now, if new figures are to be believed, it looks like these sites are all doing pretty well at the moment. The statistics from the Serviço Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos do Turismo de Portugal (at srij.turismodeportugal.pt) have revealed that the country’s online gambling market enjoyed its best-ever quarterly performance at the start of this year, generating revenues of more than €47 million in the three-month period which ended on March 31st.
More than half of the revenue was specifically generated by betting, with football accounting for almost 75 per cent of online wagering. This put the sport well ahead of its nearest rivals including basketball and tennis. In terms of gaming, revenues were up to €22.6 million with gaming machines – or slots – accounting for more than 63 per cent of that. Trailing behind were other games such as online roulette and blackjack.
An intriguing time
The online gambling market appears to be thriving in Europe at the moment and these new figures concerning Portugal only seem to reinforce that fact. Revenues in the country have seen a significant jump in the past 12 months and all eyes will be on whether it can ultimately keep up this pace in the months and years ahead. It is undoubtedly an intriguing time for the industry and it will be interesting to see just what comes next.
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: New Figures Show How Online Gambling Continues to Grow in Portugal

Latest News
SlotMatrix ignites the reels of West Virginia with Wild Extravaganza launch
SlotMatrix, the world’s largest casino content aggregator, has expanded Wild Extravaganza’s reach in the U.S launching in West Virginia, alongside existing markets, New Jersey and Michigan.
Wild Extravaganza is a high-energy 5×3 video slot that packs vibrant visuals, dynamic gameplay, and huge win potential in a 10-payline experience. The game pays left to right, right to left, and even from the middle, offering players multiple chances to win on every spin.
The core feature of Wild Extravaganza is its multiplying wilds, which can stack on three of the five reels and can reveal a 2x, 3x, or 7x win multiplier.
Wild Extravaganza is fully supported by EveryMatrix’s suite of advanced engagement tools, including free spins, leaderboards, and tournaments, helping operators drive acquisition and retention in regulated U.S markets.
This U.S release is part of a recent surge of SlotMatrix exclusive games entering the market, including 3 Coin Treasures, Lara Jones Treasures of Egypt 2, and Glorious Diamonds.
EveryMatrix holds licences in key North American markets, including West Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Ontario, and powers more than 300 customers globally.
Stephen Orchard, Head of Commercial Operations, SlotMatrix, said: “Wild Extravaganza is all about giving players thrilling, fast-paced action and the chance to land some seriously big wins. We’re excited to bring this experience to West Virginia as we continue our expansion across the U.S.”
The post SlotMatrix ignites the reels of West Virginia with Wild Extravaganza launch appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
DATA.BET Secures Spot at SBC Summit 2025
The company strengthens its market position with the recent launch of sports betting
DATA.BET, a trusted sportsbook solution supplier, will present its expanded portfolio at SBC Summit 2025 in Lisbon, stand D160. The company now offers a unified solution covering sports, esports, and virtual sports.
From September 16 to 18, the company’s representatives will unveil the updated product suite. Building on its established presence in esports and virtual sports betting, DATA.BET has expanded into traditional sports betting, covering over 50,000 sports events per month across 63+ pre-match and 38 live sports disciplines. The company’s 24/7 in-house trading team maintains 93% market uptime while delivering 1000+ betting markets backed by official data partnerships.
Each betting vertical, as well as individual sports and leagues within them, can be activated separately or combined based on market needs. Operators can instantly launch the complete sportsbook solution through a ready-to-use Single Page Application (iFrame), while those with an existing betting platform can integrate directly via the Odds Feed API.
At SBC Summit, visitors will explore DATA.BET’s core products: Risk Management system, Odds Feed, Widgets, Streams, SPA (iFrame), and Bet Builder available for all three verticals. The latest features joined our comprehensive suite include Hot Bundles for express betting optimization and Timeline Widget for enhanced game process tracking.
“This marks our first offline presentation of the complete sportsbook solution we launched in May with our full product range and latest features for betting,” said Natalie Loshatynska, Head of PR & Marketing at DATA.BET. “We look forward to showing SBC Summit participants how our technology empowers operators and platform providers to offer their clients a more dynamic and engaging betting experience.”
Discover DATA.BET’s betting technology solution at stand D160. Connect with the team at [email protected] to schedule a meeting.
The post DATA.BET Secures Spot at SBC Summit 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Bacta commissioned research shows huge support for seaside arcades led by Gen Z
The findings of independent research conducted by Censuswide among a sample of 2,000 UK Nationally representative respondents aged 16+ shows that Generation Z has fallen in love with the seaside arcades so popular with their grandparents.
The research reveals that 8 in 10 respondents (81 percent) view seaside arcades as being part of British culture and it is young Brits that are banging the drum for arcades, with 90 percent of 25–34-year-olds backing their importance.
Despite overwhelming public support from Britain’s younger generations, seaside arcades continue to face a perfect storm of challenges from rising energy and staffing costs, plus the threat of increased taxation as suggested by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
72 percent say Government should do more to protect them – with 86 percent of those aged 25-34-years calling for urgent action.
The research findings confirm the central role played by seaside arcades with 72 percent of adults saying they would visit an arcade on a trip to the seaside a figure that rises to 91 percent for 24-34-year-olds.
In terms of providing accessible entertainment 55 percent say that arcades offer great value for money, making them the UK’s most affordable family day out. As a result, 84 percent confirmed they have enjoyed arcades with multiple generations of their family.
The importance of contributions to local economies featured highly in the research paper with 7 in 10 stating that arcades play a key role in regenerating seaside towns, a figure that rises to 85 percent of 18-24-year-olds.
Reflecting on the research findings Joseph Cullis, President of UK trade association, Bacta said: “Britain’s seaside arcades are a vital element of our proud tourism industry, a modern cultural icon, and have been a fun family activity for more than a century.
“It’s brilliant but not surprising to see young people are embracing them with all the enthusiasm of their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents before them.
“At Bacta, we’re fighting to protect our seaside arcades from the threats of rising costs and from those who want to tax them out of existence. We hope that local councillors, MPs and the Treasury will heed the wants and needs of the British people and protect these vital institutions.”
Elliot Ball, who co-owns and runs Clacton Pier with his brother Billy, said other attractions would be at risk if arcades were taxed even more.
“I’m the fifth generation of my family – on both sides – involved in amusement arcades so this is a labour of love” he stated.
“But the threat from the government to raise gambling tax would put at risk a traditional family day out to the seaside. Trips here have been making memories for generations, and it’s great that younger people are finding the same safe, harmless fun on the pier that has been raising a smile and lighting up eyes for years and years.
“We’ve bounced back from the pandemic and the rise of staycations helps, but many of Britain’s most beloved seaside attractions will be put at high risk if gambling taxes rise.”
The post Bacta commissioned research shows huge support for seaside arcades led by Gen Z appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Latest News3 months ago
LEGENDS by Fire & Ice: July 1st at The BOX Soho
-
Latest News2 months ago
New Resort & Casino Selects IvedaAI for Intelligent Video Surveillance Ahead of Grand Opening
-
Latest News2 months ago
HIPTHER Movement Launched: Fitness Community & Summer Run-Off Challenge Powered by GameOn
-
Latest News2 months ago
Brand-new projects debuting at iGB L!VE: Casino&You and Win&You Partners!
-
Latest News2 weeks ago
Light & Wonder to Participate in the 2025 Australasian Gaming Expo
-
Latest News1 week ago
ReferOn Shortlisted for Acquisition & Retention Partner of the Year at SBC Lisbon 2025
-
Latest News1 month ago
2025 PUBG MOBILE WORLD CUP KICKS OFF WITH GROUP DRAW AHEAD OF ESPORTS WORLD CUP
-
Latest News2 weeks ago
Gavin Hamilton Joins Sports & Wellbeing Analytics as Chairman to Accelerate Global Expansion
You must be logged in to post a comment Login