Sports betting machines will be in Catalunya, the Spanish province which includes Barcelona, by the end of next year, according to industry insiders. Sports betting through shops and machines is already legal in the Basque Country in the north and in Madrid.
Catalunya would be regarded as one of the major targets for the expansion of online machines as it is one of the principal regions of population. It is confidently predicted that another of the principal targets, Andalucia, in the south, will also come on line in 2012. Next year will also see the arrival of sports betting terminals in the Canary Islands and in Cueta, the Spanish enclave on the North African coast.
Spain currently has 3,000 sports betting terminals in operation. The potential for the market is seen at around 35,000 units.
