Greek monopoly gaming operator OPAP has tapped Lottomatica subsidiary GTECH G2 to aid OPAP’s transition into the online gambling world. OPAP and GTECH G2 have entered into a joint venture that will bid on Greek online gaming licenses, if/when the government gets around to actually issuing such licenses. OPAP also announced it is considering bids by GTECH and Greek lottery tech provider Intralot to provide tech support for OPAP’s gaming terminals. Last September, the Greek government awarded OPAP a license to run 35k new such terminals.
Swedish state-owned operator Svenska Spel has released its H1 2012 report card, which showed net revenues rise 2.7% to SEK 4.775b (US $684.2m) and a similar 2.7% rise in consolidated profit to SEK 2.419b ($346m). Profit margin came in at 21.2%, down slightly from 2011’s 21.4%. Sports & Lottery revenue rose 4.9%, offsetting a 2.3% decline in Svenska Spel’s Casino Cosmopol operations and a 1.3% fall in its Vegas video lottery terminal revenue.
Researchers at the University of Madrid’s Institute of Policy and Governance (IPOLGOB) have released the findings of a study of Spanish gambling habits during the global economic meltdown. Spain has been hit particularly hard by the recession, with an estimated quarter of the population currently jobless. Between 2009 and 2011, IPOLGOB researchers determined that the number of Spaniards placing bets increased while the amounts they wagered fell, with the net effect being a decrease in the total amount wagered over the past year. In 2011, 63.8% of Spanish residents between the ages of 18 and 75 regularly played a game of chance, a significant boost over the 49.4% who answered ‘yes’ to that question in 2009. Only 7.9% of Spanish residents claim to have never played a game of chance. Most regular gamblers claim to wager between €6 and €30 per month. So far this year, the number of Spanish residents who gambled online was 2.17m, or 6.2% of the total population (compared to 6.4% in 2011). The total handle these players wagered online in 2011 was €649.2m, 3.3% less than 2010’s €671.2m total. Seven out of 10 online gamblers say they do it for fun, with the remaining three being all about the Benjamins.
