State-run lottery operator ONCE has been revealed as the 11th biggest single spender on Spanish advertisements in 2019, according to the sixth edition of the ‘Advertising Observatory in Spain 2020’.
The edition, which is promoted by the Spanish Association of Advertisers (AEA), recorded that the firm invested around €49m in advertisement, which has equated to more than a third of the gambling sector’s total figure.
Brands such as Seat, Samsung and Renault all spent less on advertising according to the figures, highlighting the scale of how much the lottery firm had invested, along with the gambling industry as a whole.
In 2019 betting and gaming advertising spend in the country increased by an estimated €145.6m, 10.6% more than the previous year. Overall the gambling sector was the eleventh highest-spending sector during the period.
Despite the increase in certain industries, Spain’s total advertising spend has fallen 0.5% from 2018 with the counties heavily restricted tobacco industry recording a 24.5% reduction in ad revenue, which is the edition’s steepest decline.
Other figures released included the industrial, material and agricultural industry showcasing an increase in ad spend of 29.3%. Meanwhile, the automotive industry spent in total €564.1m and the influencer sector recorded the biggest increase rising 67% to €61.8m.
Concerns have grown about the impact the Royal Decree on gambling advertising, which is anticipated to be implemented sometime this year, and the impact it will have on future growth of advertising.
As a result, the country will limit sports sponsorships for gambling firms with the Royal Decree also differentiating state-run firms, such as ONCE, and private operators.