Betsson and NetEnt Obtain UK Gaming Licences

November 2014 was a historic time in the UK online gambling industry. From the first of the month, fresh legislation required all online gambling operators serving UK residents to possess a licence approved by the UK Gambling Commission. No longer was it possible for operators to hold licences solely with international jurisdictions like Malta and Curacao.

Betsson Approved for UK Players

Betsson had been operating in the UK with a temporary licence for its multichannel offering, which includes casino games, live dealers, mobile, sports betting and more. The operator is also known for operating the Betsafe and Mr Smith Casino brands. Now, though, Betsson will function on a full licence as of April 2015 onwards.

Betsson CEO Magnus Silfverberg described his organisation as “one of the leading online gaming companies in Europe”, and that “it is natural for Betsson to operate under a local licence on the UK market”. Silfverberg went on to say that the UK market is “sustainable, well-planned, and forward-looking”.

NetEnt Receives Full UK Licence

NetEnt is the second major organisation to obtain a UK Gambling Commission licence in early April 2015. In fact, NetEnt actually received two licences. These include licences relating to operations and software. NetEnt had also been getting by with a temporary licence.

NetEnt CEO Per Eriksson described the approval of the UK Gambling Commission as a “milestone for NetEnt”, adding that “Britain is the largest gaming market in Europe and is central for our growth strategy”. The continued aim for NetEnt will be to expand into regulated markets. The UK will remain the most appealing market in the world until widespread legislative change occurs throughout the US.

Outside of Betsson and NetEnt, there was further activity from the UK Gambling Commission in April 2015. Online gambling licences were also provided to Kiron Interactive, Full Tilt Poker, Metric Gaming, PokerStars, and SBTech.