Portugal Online Casino Revenue Boost Fuelled from World Cup

The SRIJ’s report confirmed that for the quarter ending June 30, the online casino sector recorded a year on year growth of €5.4m, to €16.8m. Of this revenue grow, slots were the biggest driver.

Why Did the Figures Increase?

The SRIJ attributes this Massive growth to the FIFA World Cup in Russia. While the sporting occasion primarily resulted in a growth in sports gambling revenue, as people wanted to put cash back on the games, other businesses such as poker, slots (like money games and tournament games) saw an increase too.

Online casinos complement sports and sports betting gambling quite well, which perhaps explains why many concurrently played slots, not merely making the most of offers on chances. Even tuned in sport fans may have turned to slots as a tool to do during half-time or even while they were awaiting games. The Vegas games with William Hill appeal directly to football fans, like games like 20P Shot using its football-themed logos and state flags. The fact that this is a new slot released in time to the World Cup additionally added to the appeal.

But they do transfer players to new locations and feature new cultures and customs. This plays up the international atmosphere of the World Cup, therefore these slots are able to transfer players to new areas even if they’re unable to visit Russia (or the home nations of the participating teams) themselves.

Could We See A Similar Boost in Future?

Together with the FIFA World Cup 2018 now done and dusted and the subsequent only four years off (Qatar 2022), it means that soccer fans won’t even have such a reason to party for some time yet. But that doesn’t imply that the online casino/football hype will fizzle out and there are other, albeit smaller opportunities for online casino providers to capitalise on the boredom/heightened interest of footie fans.

In Portugal specifically, Portugal is tipped for big things from the UEFA Nations League, even though superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo is being rested. Other teams set to occur at the tournament include Germany, Spain, England, and World Cup winners France. All these countries have major online casino scenes, meaning there are solid foundations for providers to build on. Furthermore, these teams also draw fans from all over the world, therefore that there ’s an opportunity to promote to them too.

Although slots and soccer aren’t explicitly attached, it shows how the collective interest at a global event can impact the industry. It provides players (searching for themed bonuses and deals) and providers alike something to think about.