Betsson Group retires betFIRST brand for Belgian market launch
Betsson Group has folded its Belgian betFIRST operation into its flagship Betsson brand, three years after acquiring the business, as it pushes to grow global recognition.
Betsson Group has launched its main Betsson brand in Belgium, replacing the betFIRST operation it has run in the country since acquiring it three years ago.
The switch gives Belgian customers platform upgrades, redesigned mobile apps, Betsson-branded live casino content and exclusive games, along with access to the group's international partnerships and fan engagement activity, according to Betsson Group.
The betting brand will operate alongside Betsson.sport, the group's separate infotainment arm, which supplies football content, news, scores and fan engagement tools. Betsson.sport has been main sponsor of Club Brugge since the start of the 2025/26 season, a sponsorship it can hold as an infotainment brand that front-of-shirt gambling sponsorships are banned in Belgian sport.
Jesper Svensson, chief executive of Betsson Operations, described the move as a natural progression for the group. "This rebrand is a natural next step in our journey," he said, adding that bringing the Belgian business under the Betsson name would "unlock broader marketing synergies, strengthen our global identity, and continue delivering the high-quality experience that our customers know and trust."
Belgium sits 28th among global gambling markets and within Europe's top 20, according to data from Blask cited by SBC News. The betFIRST brand had built itself into the ninth-largest operator in the country before the rebrand, with Star Casino, Unibet and bwin currently ahead of it as market leaders.
Betsson now operates its flagship brand across 25 key markets spanning Europe, South America and North America, continuing a pattern of consolidating acquired businesses under the central Betsson identity.
Speaking separately to SBC News managing director Andrew McCarron, Svensson raised concerns about the direction of tax policy facing regulated operators across Europe. He said a pan-EU tax framework "could be an effective way to unify the European framework" but cautioned that such a measure would only work if it did not sit on top of taxes already levied by individual countries.
"It is not sustainable for the regulated industry to absorb constantly rising taxes. Ultimately, it isn't good for the host countries either," Svensson said. He argued that excessive taxation pushes customers away from licensed operators rather than towards rival regulated firms. "When tax levels become too high, the competition doesn't come from other regulated companies; it comes from the black market," he said.
Despite those broader concerns, Betsson appears committed to building out its presence in Belgium, with the rebrand aimed at lifting both revenue and visibility in a market where betFIRST had already established a mid-table position among licensed operators.