Keeping players safe in an increasingly connected world

Betsson AB is a Swedish company that offers a number of online gambling products, such as casino, poker, bingo, sports betting and scratch cards through several wholly owned Malta-based subsidiaries, like BML Group Ltd and Betsson Malta Ltd. Betsson AB is listed on the NASDAQ Stockholm Large Cap List.  How has 2015 shaped out for the company?

2015 was a record year for Betsson. We had a number of “all-time highs” across the group and our share price increased by over 60%. 

In 2011 Betsson acquired the shares in the Betsafe Group for SEK 292M. The acquisition increased Betsson’s market presence and enabled continued growth. The acquisition grew Betsson’s number of customers to over 400,000 — surpassing Unibet in the number of active players.  What are your present targets?

Our target is always to deliver the best customer experience in the industry.  If we do that, the rest will follow.

In 2014, Betsson acquired the Dutch casino brands Oranje and Kroon. And in 2015, Betsson acquired the Georgian sports-betting and casino brand Europe-Bet. What is your strategy for acquisitions?

Acquisitions are an integral part of our growth strategy. However, we are very selective in our targets. Our preference currently is to find targets outside of our core markets of Scandinavia. Having said that, we are also opportunistic. 

How do you ensure that customers who have gambling issues are discouraged from participating on online gaming?

If it is evident to us that a customer has a gambling problem either by self-disclosure or their behaviour which we will probe, then we suggest that they either use our player protection tools, block them from our sites temporarily or permanently, but most importantly provide them with relevant information regarding treatment and support options for them and their loved ones.

We offer self-assessment tests on all our sites and they can be accessed without being logged in or being an existing customer and depending on the result, the person gets a recommendation of possible actions to be taken

What is your corporate social responsibility statement?

Corporate responsibility is about playing fair. We are responsible and transparent in our operations. We listen to and respect our customers, partners, communities and one another. Responsible Gaming is one of the most important elements in Betsson’s sustainability engagement and is a part of our culture.

How has Malta added value to your operations?

The Malta licensing system is very robust, stable and reliable. It does not change significantly overnight or with each new crop of politicians. These are things that are very important for us as an operator. The same goes for the taxation policy in Malta.

 What is the employment base of Betsson in Malta at the moment? 

We currently have around 1,700 employees in total around Europe, Central Asia and Latin America. Out of these, about 800 people work in our Malta-based head office.