Poll results: Slots unlikely to solve Spain's black market problem
Majority of readers to this week's poll say unregulated operators will continue to hold significant market share
Spain’s online gaming market will continue to be hampered by unlicensed operators despite the imminent arrival of regulated slots, according to a small majority of respondents to this eGaming Review week’s poll.
Slots games are set to be introduced into the regulated Spanish market for the first time early next year after the regulator opened the licensing window for the product on 1 November.
The absence of slots has long been viewed as a contributing factor to the lack of growth in the regulated market with customers forced to turn to unlicensed operators in order to play such games.
Recent estimates placed as much as 70% of the casino market in the hands of black market operators with which the regulated market has struggled to compete with due to its incomplete offer.
With this in mind, eGR asked readers if they believed the addition of slots would reduce black market activity in Spain and more than half (57%) said the addition of the games were unlikely to have any significant impact.
More specifically, 43% of respondents felt unlicensed operators would continue to hold a competitive advantage over their regulated rivals due their ability to operate without the restraints of taxation and player protection requirements.
A further 16% said that while the introduction of slots may have some impact, it is unlikely to result in a significant migration of players from dot.com to dot.es operators.
Meanwhile, the remaining 41% took the opposite view and said the addition of slots games would enable operators to compete with a more attractive offer and win market share from unlicensed competitors.
Licensed operators are still hopeful of a reduction in taxation which at the moment is as high as 25% of gross gaming revenues, one of the highest rates in Europe.