Nordic online gambling operator Betsson AB is the latest European bookmaker to set its sights on the expanding US sports betting market.
On Monday, Betsson announced plans to enter the Colorado online sports betting market via a 10-year market access deal with the Dostal Alley Casino. Betsson said it hopes to launch online betting in “the first part” of 2021, subject to local regulatory approval.
The family-owned Dostal property, located in Central City Black Hawk, is a self-described “small yet very quaint” casino that was one of the first gaming venues to launch in the state back in 1991. The property offers only slots and video poker machines, no gaming tables, and thus no room for a retail sportsbook.
Betsson called the Colorado deal “a first and cautious step into the US market,” which the company plans to use to educate itself on the quirks and preferences of US bettors. Betsson plans to expand into other US states with a product “tailored to regional customer needs and differences.”
Betsson CEO Pontus Lindwall said the US has “a strong culture of gambling” and the company also hopes to use its Colorado operations to showcase its B2B capacity to prospective customers in other US states.
Colorado launched its online sports betting market in May, and state gaming regulators said locally licensed sportsbooks generated betting handle of $25.5m in their first full month of operations.
Betsson is the latest European operator to get its feet wet in Colorado, following UK bookmaker Betfred’s launch of retail betting earlier this month in partnership with the Saratoga Casino Black Hawk.
Betfred, which aims to launch online betting in August or September, also announced a betting partnership with the NFL’s Denver Broncos that includes a ‘sports betting lounge’ at the team’s Empower Field at Mile High.
Bet365, the UK’s market-leading online betting operator, secured Colorado market access via its deal with regional gaming operator Century Casinos.
