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A new analysis of the Spanish online gambler profile, published by the General Secretariat of Consumer Affairs and Gaming under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, revealed that in 2022 about 1,595,093 people were active gamblers in Spain (3.2% of the 48,345,223 that make up the population of this country). This represents an annual growth of 8.44%, with a total of 386,411 new players.

Of the total number of online players, 83.25% are men and 16.75% are women.

The report also shows that, of all these active players, 80% (1,276,837) gambled through betting, mainly on sports. The remaining 20% included other online games such as casino, poker, or bingo.

Sports betting is the sector that grew the most in 2022, compared to the previous year, with an increase of 12.33%, mainly among the youngest segments. Last year ended with 62,331 more players between 18 and 25 years old, being the age range with the highest growth compared to 2021.

The profile of the average online gambler, according to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs report, is a man between 18 and 35 years of age.

In terms of average spending, men spent EUR 626 per year and women EUR 320 per year. By age group, the highest average net spending is EUR 845 per year and corresponds to players between 36 and 45 years of age. Of the total number of players, 20% of them win net prizes. Even for 5% of the participants, the net winnings in the year exceed EUR 603.

Income tax return

According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs’ own data, almost 300,000 taxpayers would have to declare winnings from their online gambling. In addition to including them in their income tax return data related to salary, interest on bank accounts, or donations made to associations and charities, it is also necessary to add the winnings obtained through sports betting. In fact, the Tax Agency usually reviews this type of data to detect or avoid possible fraud by taxpayers.

In this sense, even if you have only won EUR 1 in bets, it is necessary to declare that amount since it is part of the income during the tax year, as long as you are obliged to file the tax return.

As established in the Personal Income Tax Law 35/2006, a tax return must be filed if you have obtained an annual income of more than EUR 22,000 with a single payer or more than EUR 14,000 in the case of two payers.

However, if the income from sports betting or any other source exceeds EUR 1,000, it is also necessary to file a tax return even if the rule for income from employment is not met.

West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paquetá is being investigated by the Football Association over potential betting breaches at a crucial time in his career. Manchester City was exploring a deal for the 25-year-old Brazillian player. However, the deal has now been stalled over “allegations of gambling in football,” as per The Guardian.

Sources close to the player told the publication that they were shocked by the investigation and that Paquetá had not been accused of making bets. According to reports, the investigation involves a bet placed by Paqueta on getting booked during West Ham’s match against Aston Villa in March, where the player received a yellow card for a challenge on John McGinn.

Brazilian outlet Globo reported the initial analysis showed that on that day several new accounts were created at Betway, with users depositing the maximum amount allowed. “These accounts made a matched bet to increase the winnings: the authors would only receive the money if Paquetá took a yellow card against Villa,” the report stated.

The Daily Mail stated that the investigations into the Brazilian have to do with wagers placed in Brazil and are related to in-game incidents rather than the outcomes of West Ham’s matches. Although it is unclear what those in-game incidents are, Paquetá has yet to be formally questioned by authorities. As the inquiry proceeds, the player has denied any wrongdoing and is expected to seek legal counsel from his team.

Paqueta joined West Ham last summer from Fench club Lyon for a club-record fee of £51 million (approx. $65 million). He scored four goals in 28 Premier League appearances last season, won the Europa Conference League with the club, and has 42 caps for Brazil. 

His skill with the ball also impressed Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, who has been watching the midfielder following an injury to City’s top player Kevin De Bruyne, who is expected to be sidelined for at least four months after sustaining a major hamstring injury.