Thursday, November 23, 2006

The gambling industry is on the search for new growth regions - With an
anticipated size of ca. Euro 39 billion by 2010, Spain is expected to be a
key future market
New report about the Spanish gambling market analyses one of the most
promising online and land-based gambling markets London/Munich, November 22,
2006: The consulting firm MECN's new study "The Spanish Gambling Market -
Key region for future growth" analyses the Spanish gambling market in
detail. The expected growth drivers for the next years are above all the
retail betting sector and Internet gambling. 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.