Sports betting in Portugal hits record high in first quarter of 2026

Sports betting in Portugal reached a record high during the first quarter of 2026, with gamblers placing €587 million in wagers between January and March, according to new figures released by Turismo de Portugal’s Betting Regulation and Inspection Service (SRIJ).

The total represents the highest quarterly betting volume ever recorded in Portugal, surpassing the previous record of €573.9 million set in the first quarter of 2024.

The figure was also slightly above the €571.1 million wagered during the final quarter of 2025.

The €587 million wagered between January and March was not only a new quarterly record but also represented an increase of €85.1 million compared with the same period last year.

Football continued to dominate Portugal’s online sports betting market, accounting for 73% of all wagers placed during the first three months of the year.

Tennis was the second most popular sport, attracting 15.4% of bets, followed by basketball with 8.4%. All other sports combined accounted for the remaining 3.2%.

Among football competitions, Portugal’s Primeira Liga attracted the largest share of betting activity, representing 12.5% of all football wagers. The English Premier League followed with 9.2%, while the UEFA Champions League accounted for 8.6%.

In tennis, the Australian Open generated the highest betting volume of any tournament during the quarter.

Meanwhile, the NBA remained by far the most popular basketball competition among Portuguese bettors, accounting for more than half of all basketball wagers placed during the period.

The all-time betting record comes just weeks after a woman launched a petition calling for a ban on advertising for online gambling and betting after her boyfriend took his own life following a spiralling addiction.

Source: LUSA

Michael Bruxo

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.