Surge in Slot Machine Enthusiasm: Castile and Leon Returns to Pre-Pandemic Gambling Levels

In Castile and Leon, the enthusiasm for slot machines has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. Analysts suggest that residents of the region expended €631 million on gambling in 2022, encompassing lotteries and slot machines. This figure significantly surpasses the combined expenditures of 2020 and 2021.

According to sources from the Spanish newspaper Diario de Avila, nearly €328 million was dedicated to the National and Primitiva lotteries, with slot machines accounting for €160 million of the overall spending. Among various gambling activities, betting garnered the least interest from Castile and Leon residents. Analysts anticipate a further increase in gambling interest rates for the region in the years 2023-2025.

Representatives from the Association of Autonomous Community Employers noted that employees in many companies may be hesitant to acknowledge their spending on gambling to avoid uncomfortable conversations.

Castile and Leon, an autonomous region in northwestern Spain, comprises nine provinces, with nearly 2.5 million residents as of 2017.