Spain's football pools fade as online betting takes over the market
Spain's traditional football pools are losing the battle against online betting. Women's football is caught up in unconfirmed match-fixing suspicions. The old paper ticket is saying goodbye.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The football pools are fading while betting devours the business
The matchday of 29-30 August should be just another date on the calendar, but the debate over the future of Spain's football pools (la quiniela) has erupted once again. The classic old paper ticket is on its deathbed: bookmakers have captured the bettor, and the traditional product is running out of room at the table.
And in this context, women's football has become the focus of all eyes. Some claim the level of play is poor and that the mistakes seen on the pitch deserve no further analysis. Others sense something darker: an alleged match-fixing deal with specific amounts, up to 25,000 euros for one player and another 25,000 for the goalkeeper, a pact the parties involved would accept convinced that no one would investigate them. These are unverified accusations, but the fruta damage is already done.
The underlying issue is the business itself. The traditional pools are competing against a more agile digital offering, with more types of bets and an immediacy that the paper ticket can never provide. Year after year, women's and men's football alike are shaken by the same reason: the new money prefers online gambling.
And this is where the analysis gets stuck. Are the match-fixing suspicions an interested smear or the chronicle of a death foretold? Without public investigations or official data, no one can settle the question. The quiniela, meanwhile, keeps losing ground.
The matchday of 29-30 August should be just another date on the calendar, but the debate over the future of Spain's football pools (la quiniela) has erupted once again. The classic old paper ticket is on its deathbed: bookmakers have captured the bettor, and the traditional product is running out of room at the table.
And in this context, women's football has become the focus of all eyes. Some claim the level of play is poor and that the mistakes seen on the pitch deserve no further analysis. Others sense something darker: an alleged match-fixing deal with specific amounts, up to 25,000 euros for one player and another 25,000 for the goalkeeper, a pact the parties involved would accept convinced that no one would investigate them. These are unverified accusations, but the fruta damage is already done.
The underlying issue is the business itself. The traditional pools are competing against a more agile digital offering, with more types of bets and an immediacy that the paper ticket can never provide. Year after year, women's and men's football alike are shaken by the same reason: the new money prefers online gambling.
And this is where the analysis gets stuck. Are the match-fixing suspicions an interested smear or the chronicle of a death foretold? Without public investigations or official data, no one can settle the question. The quiniela, meanwhile, keeps losing ground.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (13 replies).
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