Problem Gambling Rate in Spain Only 0.3% Says Study

According to new research, 84.9% of the population in Spain participates in gambling activities. The research by University Carlos III of Madrid uncovered that despite the high percentage of active gamblers, problem gambling is only 0.3%.

A New Research Was Released by the University Carlos III of Madrid, Spain

A new study released by the University Carlos III of Madrid (UC3M) revealed that the percentage of problem gamblers in Spain is only 0.3%. With that in mind, the research outlines that 84.9% of the population is participating in gambling activities. While this percentage sounds high, numbers before the 2007 economic crisis showed that back then, more than 90% of the population gambled. José Antonio Gómez Yáñez, a professor of sociology and member of the Institute of Policy and Governance at UC3M said that the new research was aiming at analyzing the relationship between gambling and society.

“Gambling is subject to much debate, like many productive activities, which emphasizes the need for this type of study which provides an objective view, based on data, for public opinion, administrations and the media,”

explained professor Yáñez

Professor Yáñez added that the research offered “real and updated data on gambling as part of the habits of Spanish society.” Furthermore, he outlined that despite that the vast majority of society participates in gambling activities, the people played responsibly. The gambling activities are like a fee for a show and the society is aware of this, concluded professor Yáñez.

Spain’s Lottery Games Are the Most Popular Type of Gambling

The UC3M research outlines that draw-based games are the most popular gambling activity. The Christmas Lottery has seen approximately 25.8 million people participating. Furthermore, the El Niño Lottery and the Primitiva Lotteries were the choices of 14.5 million and 14 million people respectively. Some 8.5 million picked Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles (ONCE) lotteries. Casinos, bingos, arcades, and online gambling was the choice of another 6.5 million people in Spain.

The scratch card games ONCE were the most popular form of gambling among the younger population in Spain. Some 50.5% of the players who purchased ONCE scratch cards were under 35 years of age.

In contrast, the age of the 6.5 million players that chose a casino, gambling hall, bingo, or online greatly varied. The paper outlines that the age of those players is in the range from 18 to 75 years of age. The research found that while many gamblers are attracted to gambling halls over jackpots, some preferred to visit a land-based venue to communicate with other gamblers and show off their expertise.

UC3M’s Study Will Help the Industry, Says the Industry Association Cejuego

The gambling industry in Spain flourished over the past decade with online gambling, sports betting, and lotteries gaining popularity in the country. But government officials have seen the potential risk of gambling harm for the young generation. To ensure the protection of players, government officials introduced a crackdown on gambling advertising. Furthermore, last month, autonomous communities in 17 regions in Spain have agreed on introducing of self-exclusion schemes for gambling.

The chief executive of industry association Consejo Empresarial del Juego (Cejuego), Alejandro Landaluce said that governments are becoming increasingly concerned about a “potentially inappropriate level of gambling participation in society“. He stressed that the association also shares the concerns of the government officials. This is one of the main reasons why Cejuego supported the research by UC3M. Landaluce said that the scientific study gives access to real data of the social behavior towards gambling. In conclusion, he outlined that with the help of this data, the industry will be able to act in areas where necessary.