William Hill has already started its expansion into Spain, Ladbrokes is currently working on a market entry strategy, more and more Spanish soccer teams are sponsored by online gambling companies, … - these are just a few of many clear signs that the gambling industry is starting to focus on Spain for future growth.
After the recent legal conflicts in traditional gambling markets, an obvious key strategic option is expansion into less restrictive jurisdictions or into regions where an increased liberalisation might be possible in the short term. Martin Oelbermann, co-author of the study, explains: "In nearly all of our surveys and interviews the operators mentioned Spain as a particularly attractive jurisdiction for future expansion."
Why is Spain so attractive?
The following are some of the reasons why Spain is perceived as so attractive:
- Increasing liberalisation - Many autonomous regions in Spain are working toward a liberalisation of the market, and particularly the betting sector as well as interactive gambling could benefit from that.
- William Hill and other big players are already poised for expansion into Spain - Many international companies, such as William Hill or Betbull/BWin, already have joint venture agreements in place and are poised to take advantage of the market in Spain.
- Growth potential, especially for retail betting and interactive gambling - Overall, Spain's gambling market is expected to grow to Euro 39 billion by 2010. By 2010 the retail betting market is expected to grow to ca. Euro 4.5 billion, which is more than 750% larger than its current size (CAGR of 71%). The other growth driver will be interactive gambling, which is expected to reach ca. Euro 4.2 billion by 2010, a growth of ca. 240% (CAGR of 36%) over the current level.
- Lotto craziness - Spain's lottery market is one of the largest in the world and can boast impressive per-capita sales.
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