Portugal posts €122.6m in online revenue for first full year

Portugal generated €122.6m ($152.2m) in online gambling revenue during the first year of new regulation in the country.

Figures from national gambling regulator Serviço Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos do Turismo de Portugal (SRIJ) show the government was able to take in €54.2m of this amount, due to a 12% tax on sports betting turnover.

The SRIJ noted that full-year revenue was boosted by a record performance in the final three months of the year, during which revenue hit an all-time quarterly high of €36.5m.

Portugal launched its new, regulated online gambling market in May 2016.

Sports wagering was the main source of income for operators in Portugal during 2017, with revenue from this vertical amounting to €68.1m.

Online casino, including poker, totalled €54.4m, with slots leading the way after bringing in 45% of this amount, ahead of poker cash games on 19.7%, French roulette with a 19.2% share, blackjack on 9.2% and poker tournaments pm 6.7%.

However, Portugal could be set for growth within the online poker market after the SRIJ this month approved a resolution to authorise shared poker liquidity with other countries.

Portugal will now link up with both France and Spain, with Italy also set to join in the near future.

Related article: Portugal poised to join France, Italy in shared poker liquidity pool