Portugal to review regulatory framework
National regulator SRIJ asks for stakeholder feedback on the market two years after launch
The Portuguese gaming regulator (SRIJ) has opened a consultation into the country’s online gaming regulations, ahead of an update on the market to be presented to Government.
SRIJ said it wanted input from gaming stakeholders on the evaluation, which has to be given to Government officials by the end of May, marking two years since the market went live.
The regulator asked comments to be submitter to sugestoes.rjo@turismodeportugal.pt before 28 February.
The market has not been an unqualified success since its launch in May 2016, with just seven licensed operators and Q3 online gaming revenues of €29.3m in a country with 10 million people.
Sports betting revenues stood at €16.3m.
The slow progress has largely been attributed to the regulatory framework by the Remote Gambling Association (RGA), which found 68% of Portuguese players gambling online were using operators not licensed in the country.
Respondents to an RGA survey said the primary reason for this was the better odds offered by offshore operators.
“This is consistent with the characteristics of the Portuguese market where online sports betting is the most important segment and also the most restricted as a result of the 8% turnover tax,” the RGA noted.
The trade group called for the adoption of a GGR-based tax and the removal of some of the restrictions, such as the sports catalogue.