Australia's Dabble secures UK licence and earmarks June launch
Australian sports betting operator confident about snaring market share, with small Leeds hub on a mini recruitment drive ahead of debut
Dabble has been granted its online sports betting licence by the Gambling Commission as the Australian operator gears up for its UK launch.
According to the regulator’s site, Dabble Sports UK’s sports betting licence is valid as of 3 April.
Dabble Sports Pty, a separate Gambling Commission licensee, was also awarded gambling software and betting host (real events) licences.
Dabble’s UK-facing site is not yet live, with a message reading “Coming Soon” currently displayed on the homepage.
EGR understands the operator is hoping to be live by the end of June, which would mean making its UK debut following the end of the domestic and European football seasons.
EGR also understands there will be a small Dabble workforce based out of a Leeds office, although those staff will be augmented by remote workers.
Job ads on Dabble’s site currently list six live positions in Leeds: four customer service agents and two marketing coordinators.
Dabble will be hoping to replicate the success it has seen in its native Australia in the UK, where a blend of social media and influencer elements into the sportsbook have proved popular.
The business is also live in the US with a daily fantasy sports offering, while reports from October noted the firm’s 2024 revenue had hit A$117m (£56m), up from A$47m in 2022.
Speaking to EGR, Dabble CEO Tom Rundle was confident the business would be able to meet the challenge once it is live in the UK.
He said: “Our ambition is about more than market share. We want to provide the next generation of wagering entertainment that isn’t just about betting, and we are really confident that’ll translate to a sizable market share over time.
“We think our product is going to be very attractive to the UK punter of today and are very confident we’ll quickly build a profitable business within our first few years in market, just as we’ve done in other markets.”
Rundle previously said the UK is one of the “least innovated jurisdictions globally” and hinted that Dabble’s alternative approach to traditional sports betting would put it in good stead in the market.