Having been acquired by Betsson last year, sports betting and gaming operator Betfirst has launched online casino in Belgium thanks to a partnership with the Groupe Partouche-owned Middelkerke Casino.

Betsson purchased the Belgian Betfirst Group in a deal worth €120.0m ($129.8m) in June 2023, also striking a deal to partner with Groupe Partouche for access to Belgium’s icasino market.

The new online casino received an A+ casino licence by virtue of its deal with the Middelkerke Casino, with Betfirst looking to become the “country’s leading operator” in online casino.

Betfirst’s foray into igaming comes after it became the first operator to obtain an online betting licence in Belgium following the regulation of the market in 2011.