SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Portugal’s Comissao de Jogos do Turismo (SRJI) has granted Betway a licence to operate B2C online casino and betting services.
The government agency which leads licencing initiatives for Portugal’s gambling marketplace, sanctioned by the nation’s Tourism Board has granted online gambling rights to Betway’s Malta operating subsidiary GM Gaming Ltd.
Portugal becomes Betway’s ninth European regulated marketplace, in which the operator maintains operating licences within the UK, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Spain, Germany, Ireland and Denmark.
SRJI’s approval sees Betway join the ranks of 888, Betclic, PokerStars, Luckia and Betano as licensed operators competing within the regulated Portuguese online gambling marketplace.
In 2017 the Portuguese government moved to reform conditions of the nation’s ‘Online Gambling Bill’, which increased operator taxes on betting turnover from 8 to 16%.
The decision would see a number of international operators such as Betfair, bet365 and William Hill exit the marketplace, citing that the government’s tax plan had made Portugal unworkable.
As yet, Betway management has not disclosed any information to its future Portuguese market plans with regards to a potential launch date.
