GAMBLING has skyrocketed among young people in Spain since the Covid pandemic, according to the Directorate-General for the Regulation of Gambling
The number of people between the ages of 18 and 25 with flapping has increased by 41% since 2019.
The average bet amount has also increased from €215 in the same year in 2019 to €333 in 2023.
The study indicates that the 18-25-year-old organization was very close last year to being the top age organization for gambling, second only to the 26-35 organization, which has seen a 12% increase since 2019.
Extra time spent at home, combined with the proliferation of gaming phone apps during the Covid pandemic, is thought to be to blame for this upward trend.
The 4 main spaces of gambling are the virtual versions of betting, bingo, poker, and casino.
The survey shows that the most popular category is online in sporting events and mobile gaming.
The technical director of the Spanish Federation of Rehabilitated Players (FEJAR), Juan Lamas, says that players between the ages of 18 and 25 start playing with savings accumulated over the years or with cash from their relatives’ budgets.
There has also been an increase in the number of microloans implemented for a de facto non-public loan.
Lamas warned that young players even use scholarship money or commit petty theft within their families to fund their habit.
In 2023, Spain recorded almost 1. 6 million active players, an annual expansion of 2. 7%.
This figure has increased to 30% since 2016, when knowledge was first collected.
It’s a male-dominated industry: 8 out of 10 are men.
The study also indicates that for all ages, the busiest months are those in the last quarter of the year.
Juan Lamas believes that this is due to the new tickets won at this time and also to the increased advertising of the sale of the Christmas lottery.
He also believes that for younger people, the time coincides with holidays in schools and universities.
The Directorate’s report also indicates that the majority, two-thirds, are unconditional in favour of a single operator.
He also points out that most players, 8 out of 10, end up losing more than they gain, a result that has risen to 8% in the last eight years.
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