The Game and Society study reflects that 84.9% of the adult population in Spain has played a game of chance throughout 2019. A lower figure than 2007, when the percentage was 90%. Around 30 million people have participated in gambling in the last year.
The report on the attitudes and habits of Spaniards about gambling is supported by the professor of Sociology and member of the Institute of Politics and Governance of the Carlos III University, José Antonio Gómez Yánez, and the founder of the Center for Policy and Legislation Studies of Game, Carlos Lalanda. The Game and Society Study is endorsed by Cejuego.
“In Spain we all play”
During the presentation, Gómez Yáñez explained that “in Spain we all play.” And that “the vast majority of those who play do so responsibly.” 84.9% of the population in Spain has played a game of chance in 2019. According to the Game and Society Study, the player’s profile is varied. The age of the players ranges from 18 to 75 years and includes all social classes
Games based on luck are the main option chosen by most of the Spanish. Thus the game par excellence of the Spanish is the Christmas Lottery. An estimated 25.8 million people play. The second option is the El Niño Lottery with 14.5 million. Followed by the Primitiva with 14 million. And the last option is the ONCE coupons with 8.5 million.
Those responsible for the study have remarked that the ONCE Scratch Cards have grown by 9.9% compared to 2018. Scratch cards are the games of chance that young people play the most. It is estimated that 50.5% of the players are under 35 years old.
Throughout 2019, 6.5 million people residing in Spain have had contact with casinos, bingo halls or face-to-face or online gambling halls. Of the 6.5 million, 2.2 million have played in casinos, 3 million in gaming halls, 2.4 million in bingo halls, and 1.5 million arcade machines or slots.
630,000 people play regularly
Regarding online gambling, consumption in Spain is around 800 million euros per year and has represented 7.7%. During 2019, one and a half million people have connected at least once. Although the monthly average of players is 630,000. The player’s profile is a man between 26 and 35 years old.
“After the novelty, the typical behavior of those who play on the Internet settles: the gaming sessions are shortened and the amounts spent remain at levels similar to any other hobby,” say José Antonio Gómez Yánez and Carlos Lalanda.
0.3% of people between 18 and 75 years old have some problem derived from gambling
In recent months organizations and institutions have risen up against private gambling. Consumer Minister Alberto Garzón will soon approve a more restrictive Gaming Law. However, according to the study, only 0.3% of people between 18 and 75 years old have a problem derived from gambling.
“This percentage positions Spain as the second country with the lowest rate among the countries with available data, coinciding with Norway, which empirically makes it impossible to affirm a gambling problem in Spanish society”, explain the authors of Estudio Juegos y Sociedad.
During the presentation, Alejandro Landaluce, CEO of Cejuego, explained that “the Spanish population participates in a general and responsible way in gambling as a leisure activity.” And he urges administrations to carry out studies on the game before making decisions.
