Portuguese regulator grants gaming licence to Bidluck

Portuguese gambling regulator Serviço de Regulação Inspeção de Jogos (SRIJ) has granted a gaming licence to Bidluck SA, allowing the operation of online slots via its Bidluck.pt site.

It is the 23rd gaming licence issued in the jurisdiction, where land-based and online casino, poker, lottery, sports betting and bingo are regulated. The licence will be valid for 3 years from the date of its signature, 22 May 2020.

Portugal’s igaming market saw its highest ever quarterly revenue in Q1 2020, with online operators bringing in a total of €69.8m, up 47% year-on-year.

In the midst of the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, April saw the nation’s parliament pass a bill calling for “partial or total limitations on access to online gambling platforms”, although the details of the restrictions were not set out at that time.

The SRIJ has granted several licences this year, including two to Betway in February.

However, in 2019, gaming data from the jurisdiction showed that unlicensed operators had continued to thrive there, a full 3 years after the introduction of regulated online gaming.