Betsson has shelved the betFIRST brand in Belgium and launched its eponymous Betsson platform more than three years after acquiring the local operator.
Stockholm-listed Betsson announced it was to acquire betFIRST in a €120m deal in the summer of 2023.
The operator was founded in 2011. In 2025, H2 Gambling Capital placed betFIRST’s market share at 3%.
BetFIRST proceeded to launch an online casino brand in Belgium via a partnership with Group Partouche in February 2024.
Last year, Betsson secured a front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with Club Brugge, one of the major football clubs in the country.
The deal sees Betsson’s infotainment and news portal, Betsson.sport, adorn the front of the club’s shirt.
This allows the operator to achieve brand awareness and recognition despite Belgium having a ban on gambling companies having front-of-shirt deals.
Betsson has deployed a similar tactic in Italy, where the same rules apply. Betsson.sport is the front-of-shirt sponsor of Italian giants Inter Milan.
Betsson said the Betsson brand in Belgium would continue to run on the betFIRST licence.
The betfirst.be domain redirects users to Betsson’s Belgian website. Betsson will offer online sports betting and igaming in the market.
Betsson also has a live job listing for a Belgian country manager on its website.
Former CEO Alexis Murphy left in January and was replaced by COO Philip Wilson. Wilson then departed the company in June.
The company said: “The move further strengthens Betsson’s position in regulated markets and reflects the group’s ambition to drive greater consistency, scalability and brand recognition across its international operations.”
Betsson previously launched its eponymous brand in Lithuania last year and transitioned its Betsafe platform out of the market after eight years.
Betsson still operates Betsafe in other jurisdictions. The company also owns Inkabet in Peru, Jalla! Casino in Sweden, StarCasinò in Italy, Rizk and NordicBet.
Jesper Svensson, Betsson CEO, said: “This rebrand is a natural next step in our journey.
“By aligning our presence under the Betsson brand, we can unlock broader marketing synergies, strengthen our global identity and continue delivering the high-quality experience that our customers know and trust.”
Want to know more about the H2 Gambling Capital data behind this article? Register for free to learn more about exclusive H2 Gambling Capital market data and forecasts embedded within EGR’s editorial coverage – the numbers the industry’s leading operators, suppliers and investors rely on.
We caught up with Betsson AB CEO Pontus Lindwall on the first episode of the Power Seat podcast. Check it out
The post Betsson drops betFIRST in Belgium and transitions to eponymous brand first appeared on EGR Intel.
Swedish operator also on the hunt for a new country manager for the market, as transition comes a year after penning front-of-shirt deal with Club Brugge
The post Betsson drops betFIRST in Belgium and transitions to eponymous brand first appeared on EGR Intel.