The iGaming industry is flooded with operators trying to attract players to their sites. Some of these operators excel at this and run numerous successful online casinos, while others focus on a single site and growing a brand.
For operators that own multiple online casinos, there seems to be little limit to how many they can own. Some take things to the next level and operate up to 16 online casinos, each with a unique brand and appeal.
Keep reading if you’re interested in who these operators are and what brands they own, as these are the companies that run the most online casinos today.
Betsson AB
Founded in 1963, Betsson AB is a Swedish company that existed long before online gambling. The company began as a physical casino operator, specialising in providing unique and thrilling games to players whenever they stepped foot into a casino.
With the move to online gambling occurring in the late 1990s, Betsson was quick to adapt to the changing landscape of gambling. By 2002, the brand launched its first online casino, aptly named after the company.
Quickly learning to navigate the new and ever-changing online gambling world, the company began an acquisition rampage that continues. Its latest acquisition, finalised in February 2024, was Netherlands-based Holland Gaming Technology Ltd.
Although the company has moved its headquarters to Malta, it remains listed on the Swedish stock exchange, Nasdaq Stockholm. This is unsurprising, considering the company has grown to own more than 20 gambling brands that offer online casino games, sports betting, poker, scratchers, or a combination.
The company’s brands include the namesake Betsson, Betsafe, NordicBet, CasinoEuro, StarCasino, Betfirst, Inkabet, Jalla Casino, Rizk, Guts, Jackpot247, CasinoWinner, SuperCasino, and Thrills. The newest of these is Jalla Casino, which was launched in 2020.
Entain PLC
Initially called Gaming VC Holdings, Entain began in 2004. The brainchild of four American businessmen, it was founded to purchase Casino-Club, a well-known and massively popular online gambling brand at the time.
The group succeeded in its goal and acquired the Casino-Club brand while achieving a listing on the London Stock Exchange. It did this for several years until 2010, when the company moved to the Isle of Man and changed its name to GVC Holdings.
Following this move, the company began various acquisitions that saw it experience immense growth. At the same time, it launched numerous new brands and signed incredibly lucrative contracts.
Among these was an agreement with MGM Resorts International that saw it become co-owner of the now commonplace BetMGM platform in the USA. This partnership has included other exclusive deals, like one signed with social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
In 2020, the company was again renamed to Entain PLC after its COO and CEO retired, leading to a shocking drop in share price. However, things quickly picked up, and its varied brands now include 20 gaming and sports betting entities. These include BetCity, bwin, Coral, Crystalbet, Ladbrokes, SuperSport, Foxy Bingo, Gala Casino, Gala Spins, PartyCasino, Gioco Digitale, Betboo, Gamebookers, VistaBet, and Sports Interaction.
Kindred Group
Kindred Group is one of the only gambling operators that started out not offering gambling services. In 1997, it began providing telephonic betting tips and advice to any gambler who called into its London location.
This didn’t last long, as the company quickly moved on to more ambitious pursuits. In 1999, it launched an online platform offering the same services was formally founded as Unibet Group PLC the following year.
The group quickly changed to begin offering more than just advice and started accepting wagers on upcoming sporting events. In 2005, it started adopting new mobile technologies, and as smartphones became more widespread among players a few years later, it quickly established itself as a market leader in mobile gambling.
From 2011 onwards, the brand also went on a purchasing spree, acquiring numerous brands and making significant changes, such as using BankID (an electronic identification system) on two of its websites.
In 2016, the group rebranded as Kindred Group PLC to showcase that it was more than one brand. This name change is ideal as the company owns nine unique brands: 32Red, Bingo.com, Unibet, Maria Casino, Vlad Cazino, Casinohuone, Kilikkopelit, Storspiller, and Ottokasino.
LeoVegas
The youngest company on this list, LeoVegas was founded in 2011 and grew rapidly as people acclimatised to gambling on their mobile devices.
Listing publicly in 2016, the company grew massively and went on an acquisition spree that saw it purchasing multiple operators and gaining licenses to operate in numerous new regions. Among these was Sweden, where the company was one of the few operators to have a permit immediately after the regulated market for iGaming launched.
As the company grew and purchased additional operators, it continued to focus on expanding its brands. Many of these were specifically targeted and sought to allow punters to play real money slots in the UK easily. Expanding this region (and others) led to eight unique brands: 21.co.uk, Royal Panda, Pink Casino, LeoVegas, BetUK, Slot Boss, expekt, and GoGoCasino.
In 2022, the group received an offer valued at $607 million from MGM Resorts International, a US-based gambling giant. By the end of the year, the deal to become a subsidiary of the massive group was finalised, and a ninth brand, BetMGM, was added to the company’s portfolio.
Conclusion
The companies listed above are among those that operate the most online casinos and are the most well-known in the iGaming arena. However, plenty more are less prominent and operate brands that millions of players visit daily.
Some of these include Direx N.V. (BitStarz Casino), Araxio Development N.V. (BoaBoa Casino), Avento N.V. (SlotV Casino), Dama N.V. (BitStarz and mBit Casino), Genesis Global Limited (Genesis Casino), and Betway Group (Betway Casino and JackpotCity), Grace Media Limited (Cosmic Spins and Hot Streak), Santeda International B.V. (Goldenbet and Cosmobet).
Each operates numerous brands that bring the thrills of online gambling to millions of players worldwide. As the iGaming industry continues to grow, these companies may soon add more brands to their portfolios and become even more prominent in the sector.
