On this page 6
- Betsson is now officially operating under its own name in Belgium
- Two websites operating under existing Belgian licences
- A €120 million acquisition that started in 2023
- What changes for existing betFIRST customers?
- Betsson and Betsson.sport are not the same service
- What does Betsson's arrival mean for the Belgian online casino market?
Betsson has officially taken over the betFIRST brand in Belgium. Following changes to the Belgian Gaming Commission's licence registers in September, the Swedish gambling group confirmed the launch of its flagship brand on 5 October 2026. The transition introduces two websites, betssoncasino.be and betssonsports.be, while retaining the existing Belgian licensing structure. It marks the final major step in a rebranding process that began with Betsson's acquisition of betFIRST in 2023.
Betsson is now officially operating under its own name in Belgium
The transition from betFIRST to Betsson is no longer just a planned rebranding.
On 5 October 2026, Betsson Group officially announced the launch of its brand in Belgium, confirming that the former betFIRST operation had moved under the international Betsson name.
The announcement followed changes made to the Belgian Gaming Commission's official licence registers in September.
Both the sports betting and online casino activities now appear under Betsson-branded domains.
The regulated websites are betssonsports.be for sports betting and betssoncasino.be for online casino games.
Importantly, Betsson is not entering Belgium as an entirely new operator. The group has been active in the country since acquiring betFIRST in June 2023. What changes now is the brand under which its Belgian operations are presented.
Two websites operating under existing Belgian licences
The Belgian Gaming Commission's sports betting register identifies betssonsports.be under F1+ licence number 116764, held by SAGEVAS SA/NV.
That licence remains valid until 19 February 2029.
The official online casino licence register lists betssoncasino.be under A+ licence number 595153, held by Exploitatie Casino Middelkerke SA/NV.
The casino licence expires on 22 February 2039.
This distinction matters because Belgium requires online casino operations to be linked to a licensed land-based casino. Betsson's online casino therefore continues to operate through the existing partnership with Casino Middelkerke rather than through a newly issued casino licence.
Both websites now carry the Betsson identity, but the legal entities responsible for their respective licences remain separate.
A €120 million acquisition that started in 2023
The rebranding is the result of a strategy that began more than three years ago.
On 15 June 2023, Betsson announced the acquisition of Belgian operator betFIRST for a total consideration of up to €120 million.
At the same time, the group entered into a strategic partnership with French casino operator Groupe Partouche, aimed at developing a regulated online casino business in Belgium.
That partnership led to the launch of betfirstcasino.be in February 2024, using the A+ licence associated with Casino Middelkerke.
For several years, Betsson chose to maintain the existing betFIRST identity, a brand already familiar to Belgian sports bettors.
The October 2026 launch signals a different approach. Instead of operating behind the acquired local brand, the group has decided to bring its Belgian activities under the same name it uses internationally.
The change is therefore more significant than a simple website redesign. It reflects the group's broader strategy of consolidating its operations around a recognisable international identity.
What changes for existing betFIRST customers?
According to Betsson Group, Belgian customers will continue to have access to the existing products and services following the transition.
The company has also announced improvements to its casino and sports betting platforms, updated mobile applications, Betsson-branded live casino content and additional games.
However, the announcement does not establish every practical detail of the account migration.
Existing customers should rely on official communications for information about account access, identity verification and any necessary administrative steps.
From a regulatory perspective, the important point is that the underlying Belgian licences remain in place.
The rebranding should not be interpreted as the creation of a new casino with an entirely different licensing arrangement.
CasinoRating has also updated its Betsson Casino review to reflect the rebranding. The review replaces our previous betFIRST listing, preserving the history of the former operator while examining the changes introduced under the Betsson brand. The new platform's performance and service quality will continue to be assessed independently.
Betsson and Betsson.sport are not the same service
The launch also clarifies a distinction that has become particularly relevant in Belgian football.
Betsson Group has been associated with Club Brugge since 2025 through Betsson.sport, a sports information and entertainment platform.
Unlike Betsson's regulated gambling websites, Betsson.sport is presented as a platform for sports news, results, content and fan engagement rather than gambling.
The two brands have different functions.
This distinction is particularly relevant given the ongoing debate surrounding gambling-linked sponsorship in Belgian football.
Betsson's Belgian gambling launch does not change the stated role of Betsson.sport, but it makes the relationship between the international gambling group and its various Belgian brands more visible.
What does Betsson's arrival mean for the Belgian online casino market?
Betsson's rebranding adds another internationally recognised name to Belgium's regulated gambling market.
However, unlike a new operator entering the market, Betsson is building on an existing business, established customers and Belgian licences that were already active before the name change.
For players, the more important questions concern what happens after the transition.
Will the new platform offer a clearer casino experience? How will the software, game selection and mobile applications evolve? And will the change improve customer support and the transparency of information provided to players?
These elements cannot be judged from a brand announcement alone.
At CasinoRating, our assessment of legal online casinos in Belgium considers the quality of the games, usability, mobile experience, licensing, player protection and customer support.
A familiar international name does not automatically guarantee a better experience.
Betsson has now officially replaced betFIRST in Belgium. The regulatory transition is confirmed, but the real test will be whether the new brand delivers meaningful improvements for Belgian players beyond its new name and visual identity.
