Another operator is shutting down in the United States.
A Betsson spokesperson confirmed to SBC Americas on Tuesday that the company is shutting down its operations in Colorado, where it operates under the Betsafe name.
Betsafe ceasing operations at the end of the month
Betsson has decided to discontinue its B2C operations in Colorado (USA) at the end of September 2024. So, for the foreseeable future, we will not have any B2C offering in the US,” the spokesperson said.
“As communicated initially, our B2C operations in Colorado served primarily to display our sportsbook for B2B purposes and to provide us with valuable first-hand insights into the dynamics of the US online sports betting market.”
Colorado sports betting went live in May 2020 but Betsson did not launch Betsafe until March 2022. The company partnered with Dostal Alley Casino for market access in the state. Betsson also opened an office in Denver in tandem with the launch.
Colorado was the first North American B2C launch for Betsson but the company expanded to Ontario as well.
Betsafe was a B2C sportsbook but part of larger B2B play
While the Betsafe app was consumer-facing, much of the launch was also about proving the company’s capabilities as a B2B provider in the North American market.
“We knew our strengths as a large operator and what it was going to take to get into the market. We evaluated coming in as Betsson, but quickly realized that would be too costly. Instead, we decided that, first and foremost, we wanted to bring our technology over here to offer to other partners and providers,” Betsson U.S. Account Director Lance Agostino told SBC Americas at launch.
“One of the first questions we get asked in RFPs or procurement processes is ‘where else are we live in North America?’ So, we decided it was probably more pragmatic and faster to go ahead and get live ourselves with the Betsafe brand, so we are able to play in our own sandbox.”
List of shuttered sportsbooks keeps growing
With NFL season just days away, Betsson is the latest small operator to shutter U.S. operations. Last week, Australian operator ClutchBet announced it was closing its BlueBet brand in Colorado, Louisiana and Iowa. Superbook announced it would be pulling out of Colorado and all other markets but Nevada as well.
Other operators that have pulled the plug in Colorado include WynnBet, Fubo Sportsbook, Unibet Sportsbook and Betway.
Despite the closures, Colorado remains a state with more than a dozen active operators.
