Spanish regulator awards new slots and betting licences
Eurobet and NetEnt among new market entrants with 888, bwin.party and bet365 all obtaining new slots permits
Gala Coral subsidiary Eurobet and supplier NetEnt are set to make their debuts in the Spanish market after gaining approval from the regulator this afternoon while a raft of firms including 888, bwin.party and bet365 received licences to offer online slots.
Eurobet, German firm Merkur Interactive, planetwin365 operator SKS365, and NetEnt were featured among a batch of ten companies awarded an overall gaming licence by the the Spanish gaming regulator, Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), enabling them to enter the regulated market for the first time.
Meanwhile, the much-awaited slots licences were also handed out with the likes of 888, bwin.party, bet365, William Hill and PT Entertainment (Playtech) among a group of 20 existing licensees given approval to offer the product to their customers.
Recently installed Playtech COO Shimon Akad described the news as a “major breakthrough” for both the supplier and its licensees and predicted the firm would now increase its market share.
Other big name licensees include Betfair and Gamesys while PokerStars, which already held a Spanish gaming licence, also received approval for both a sportsbook and slots offering.
The licenses come just a week after legislation legalising and regulating online slots and exchange betting came into force on 27 May with the regulator having re-opened its licensing window back in November last year.
The opening of the licensing process marked the first time operators were able to apply for licences since Spain launched its regulated market in 2012, after rubber-stamping the regulation of slots and exchange betting in July 2014.
The addition of slots is expected to breathe new life into the Spain’s online casino market which, despite a 38% increase in revenues to 12.2m in Q1, still ranks lower than both casino and sports betting.
In a similar move, Italy added online slots to its casino offering in late 2012, which has since helped casino become the number one grossing vertical in the country.