Portugal definitely follows the growth trend. In fact, it’s among the countries that are going through a gambling surge. Let’s take a closer look at the trend in this country and what it can do to apply preventive measures to have better control over its citizens’ gambling habits.

Portugal’s Gambling Boom

Portugal’s Gambling surge occurred during the Pandemic in 2020. The crisis kept many people at home, and the number of players has been on the rise ever since. The trend has continued for years, making 2024 one of the biggest years in terms of growth.

According to the official data from Portugal's gambling regulator, the online gambling revenue skyrocketed to a massive 266,3 million euros. Compared to Q3 of 2023, this resulted in growth equaling 23.7%. Most of the revenue growth is coming from online casinos.

Online betting, on the other hand, is a little bit down, but half of the country still gambles. The boom is also seen from another perspective. The number of individuals requesting timeous and blocking participation is up from 50,000 in 2019 to 215,000 in 2024.

Credits: Unsplash; Author: @helloimnik;


Causes of Gambling Addiction in Portugal

Every country has a specific atmosphere regarding laws and regulations. Different circumstances lead to different outcomes. For Portugal, several factors are driving the current gambling boom.

  • Unmonitored advertising - If gambling brands have no limitations on advertising, they can easily reach vast numbers of potential players using traditional and social media marketing strategies.

  • Ease of access - Finding an online casino takes minutes today. The market offers thousands of options, and all a person needs is a smartphone to access a gambling site or to download an app.

  • No strict regulations - Stricter regulations would impose higher taxes on gambling entities. As a result, this would lower the number of regulated casinos, leaving fewer options to players.

  • Economic challenges - The times of the financial crisis are periods when gambling companies boom. Ever since 2020, economic turmoil has been present globally, and Portugal is no exception. These kinds of circumstances lead to a higher number of people willing to try their luck to improve their financial situation.

  • An influx of foreigners - Even though Portugal is a popular tourist destination, it has also become an appealing financial haven for foreigners, which today counts over one million annually. A part of foreigners also gamble, which also drives the online casino revenue numbers up.

Imposing stricter measures on the gambling industry would result in lower numbers of gambling addicts. Additionally, a better economy would help people divert from a get-rich-quick mentality. Luckily, new economic opportunities for Portugal are around the corner, which should help alleviate the stress of the current state of the economy.

How Some Countries Keep Gambling Addiction Under Control

Portugal doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to regulating gambling. There are several countries that already have good regulations in place to prevent gambling addiction under control.

Canada: Strong Regulation and Player Protection

Canada is currently on the path of regulating gambling in its country. At the moment, online gambling is a grey market in the majority of provinces. Before market regulation, players primarily gambled at offshore casinos, resulting in poor player protection.

Ontario was the first to regulate online gambling, and it has led to better control of operators and offering more player protection. As Ontario has only recently become a licensed market and continues to expand, players need to understand which casino sites are available in their province. Gamblizard Canada helps users stay informed by monitoring regulatory updates, tracking newly licensed brands, and providing insights into the latest changes. Additionally, players can read user reviews, access expert blogs and follow guides to make well-informed decisions when choosing an online casino.

Casino review sites also play a role in the spread of gambling addiction. They should actively promote responsible gambling and provide resources for players struggling with addiction. Having direct contacts with support organizations is important to ensure that players have access to professional help when needed.

Sweden: Strict Controls on Gambling

Swedish Gambling Authority is among the stricter ones, meaning that brands are required to notify the players if they start excessively gambling. Plus, from the moment players of legal age open their accounts, license holders need to discourage them from gambling. On top of that, all responsible gambling tools need to be easily accessible by the players.

UK: Focus on Affordability and Advertising Limits

UK Gambling Commission is one of the strictest gambling authorities in the world. One of the best ways in which this gambling authority helped players is by introducing transparent advertising and banning credit cards from being used at online casinos.

All operators and affiliate businesses need to transparently promote bonuses by including key terms and conditions on the promotional materials.

A credit card ban is an amazing way of preventing people from getting into debt easily to gamble away money.

What’s more, all the legal operators must have gambling tools easily accessible by players.

Australia

As a country that regulated gambling over 50 years ago, Australia belongs to countries with plenty of experience. As such, it has one of the strictest stances on what people can play online and what they cannot.

Online casinos, slots, poker, and in-play betting are illegal on the federal level. That means that any gambling that Australians want to participate in needs to be in person. On top of that, advertising is strictly regulated. It is limited not to display any bonus values or be featured during television time when children are watching.

Portugal’s Path to Responsible Gambling

Portugal has a long way to go when it comes to gambling regulations. A great starting point would be regulating advertising, introducing responsible gambling tools, and investing more in gambling addiction recovery programs.

Essentially, all it has to do is follow what other countries have already done. It’s all laid out, Portugal just needs to follow the steps and protect its citizens.