LeoVegas will enter the Spanish market

LeoVegas, which specializes in mobile casinos, hopes to join the regulated online casino and sports betting market in Spain in early 2019.

LeoVegas’ CEO Gustav Hagman announced that the company has applied for licenses for betting activities and online casinos to the gambling regulator of Spain (DGOJ). Entry into the Spanish market is scheduled for the first quarter of 2019.

Hagman noted that LeoVegas "effectively adapts business to regulated markets regardless of language and rules." He also noted that total count of Spanish-speaking users about 470 million people worldwide, so the upcoming launch of LeoVegas in Spain will be the first step to expand into other Spanish-speaking markets.

LeoVegas recently received a new Swedish license. The company is also licensed in Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Malta and the UK. The company recently warned investors that the increase in regulatory compliance costs in its regulated market operations had a “negative effect on growth,” which led to a sharp drop in its shares.

While LeoVegas is preparing to launch in Spain, the French poker operator Winamax, who launched its website in July on this country's territory, has not yet indicated when they plan to add betting as an additional offer for their users, although they previously received a license for this type of activity.

SKS365 Austrian group also recently received a gambling permit for the flagship brand Planetwin365.