Betsson enters Serbia with new online casino licence

Betsson’s online casino is now live in Serbia, operating under the Rizk brand. Consumers can sign up and access a range of casino games via mobile or desktop.

The operator said that the launch forms part of its strategy to grow through geographic expansion into new markets.  

This effort, it adds, includes in the Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEECA) region. CEECA accounted for 43% of group revenue in the second quarter of 2023. 

“I am proud to welcome Serbia as yet another locally regulated market for Betsson,” the operator’s chief executive and president, Pontus Lindwall, said. “Our vision is to offer the best customer experience possible and through the brand Rizk we are now ready to deliver a best-in-class online casino offering in Serbia.”

Betsson drops Dutch plans

The expansion comes after Betsson in July announced it had withdrawn its application for an online gambling licence in the Netherlands. The operator said this due to “significant delays” in the approval process.

Betsson had been seeking a licence through its subsidiaries to roll out online gambling in the country. However, it said it had experienced delays in the licensing process and also took into account resource allocation considerations, given the “attractive” project pipeline in other markets.

However, Betsson added that it could reapply for a Dutch licence in the future.

Record revenue in Q2

News of the Dutch withdrawal came as Betsson also reported record revenue for the second consecutive quarter during Q2. This included casino revenue reaching an all-time high.

Group revenue for the three months to 30 June was €236.8m, up 27.1% from €186.3m in Q2 of 2022. This figure also surpassed the previous record of €221.9m set in Q1 this year by 6.7%.

Casino was a highlight in Q2, with revenue reaching a record €165.1m while turnover hit an all-time high of €8.36bn.