Will betFIRST soon be replaced by Betsson? 

Betsson, which has owned betFIRST since 2023, may be preparing the next stage of its expansion in Belgium. Several clues now suggest a gradual transition from betFIRST to the Betsson brand, although no official launch has yet been announced. 

Betsson is already firmly established behind betFIRST 

Betsson AB has controlled betFIRST since 2023. The acquisition was completed for €120 million, giving the group immediate access to an operator already established in the regulated Belgian market. Betsson therefore did not need to build its Belgian presence from scratch. The group was able to rely on an already operational business and retain a brand name familiar to players in the country. 

The most visible change does not yet concern gaming licences, but rather the way in which Betsson presents its own name to the Belgian public. 

In particular, the group is present within the Club Brugge ecosystem through a sporting partnership. The Betsson.sport platform is also accessible to the Belgian public. This platform provides results, statistics and various sports-related content, particularly focusing on football. 

Betsson’s visibility in Belgian sport does not, therefore, mean that a Betsson betting site is already authorised in the country. It does, however, enable the group to build brand recognition. 

This strategy could prove particularly effective if Betsson were, in the long term, to wish to use its own name directly for its regulated activities in Belgium. A brand that is already familiar to sports fans would require less effort to introduce to the public should a rebranding take place. 

The sports betting licence is a key factor 

A potential launch of Betsson under its own name would not necessarily mean that a new Belgian operator would have to be set up and a completely new licence applied for. For sports betting, the structure already exists. 

Licence F1+ 116764 is held by SAGEVAS SA and linked to sports.betfirst.be. SAGEVAS operates betFIRST and is now part of the Betsson Group. 

In this scenario, betFIRST could gradually be replaced by Betsson without the need for a new F1+ licence. However, this does not mean that Betsson could carry out this transition on its own initiative and overnight. Such a change would require the approval and authorisation of the Gaming Commission. 

The online casino operates under a different structure 

The situation is different for the online casino. Since 2024, betFIRST has also been offering casino games under licence A+ 595153. This licence is held by Exploitatie Casino Middelkerke SA/NV, the company that operates the Middelkerke Casino. 

The domain currently authorised under this licence is betfirstcasino.be. Betsson does not hold this A+ licence directly. The group benefits from the agreement established with the Middelkerke Casino to offer an online casino service under the betFIRST brand. 

The structure could theoretically be retained whilst replacing the domain and brand currently in use. Such a change would, however, be subject to the licence holder’s agreement and approval by the Belgian regulator. 

Betsson would then have the two pillars necessary for a comprehensive operation in Belgium: sports betting via the F1+ licence operated by SAGEVAS, and the online casino via the Middelkerke Casino’s A+ licence. 

Betsson’s complicated history with the Belgian regulator 

On 9 May 2012, Betsson.com was placed on the Belgian Gaming Commission’s blacklist. At that time, various international operators were continuing to offer their services to Belgian players without the necessary local authorisations. 

On 16 October 2014, the Commission removed Betsson.com from its blacklist. Betsafe.com, another brand belonging to the Betsson group, was also removed on the same day. 

Being removed from the blacklist did not in any way grant Betsson a licence to operate gambling activities in Belgium. The absence of a site from this list does not mean that it is authorised to offer games to Belgian players. The removal did, however, put an end to a long-standing regulatory obstacle in these areas. 

More than a decade later, Betsson’s position is radically different: the group now controls a regulated Belgian operator and benefits, either directly or through its agreements, from the structures that could make it possible to operate its own brand. 

Why Betsson might want to abandon betFIRST 

betFIRST remains a well-known brand in Belgium. Phasing it out would therefore come at a cost and could potentially deprive the group of an identity that is already well-established amongst players. However, Betsson also has a case for making the transition: its own name is used in many regulated markets. 

Maintaining multiple identities in the long term means spreading investment and marketing efforts across different brands. A transition to Betsson, on the other hand, would allow the group to strengthen a common international identity. The visibility currently being built around Betsson in Belgium could then serve as a bridge. 

No Belgian Betsson site has been announced at present 

No launch of Betsson under its own brand in the Belgian gambling market has been officially announced. 

The F1+ licence 116764 remains associated with sports.betfirst.be. The A+ licence 595153 for Middelkerke Casino, meanwhile, remains linked to betfirstcasino.be. 

No Betsson gambling domains intended for the Belgian market currently appear in the licences published by the Gaming Commission. The transformation of betFIRST into Betsson therefore remains a possible scenario, rather than a fait accompli.