Ninja Casino Could Relaunch in Sweden under Entain’s bwin Brand

Defunct Ninja Casino iGaming brand is now looking at a new chance to return to business as Entain is taking over Enlabs AB and looking to restore the iconic brand in Sweden.

Ninja Casino Is Coming Back to Sweden, Eventually

Entain is looking to recover the Ninja Casino brand in Sweden once it finalizes its takeover push for the parent company, Enlabs AB. Announced last week, Entain is planning to buy out Enlabs for SEK2.8 billion in the coming months, with the gaming giant already looking how to seek a reentry in the regulated Swedish market.

Enlabs decided to sell its Swedish licenses moving away from operating gaming products in the country and focusing on proprietary technology platform development instead. Enlabs is still in charge of the Ninja Casino, which it bought out from Global Gaming in October 2020 for SEK150 million.

Ninja Casino’s staying power in the iGaming market was notable, but poor operation and consumer protection deficiencies led to the brand losing its license to operate in the gambling market. Global Gaming took heat from the Spelinspektionen, the country’s regulator, over spreading gambling advertisement outside of the established regulatory framework, specifically to bolster Ninja Casino’s offer.

Ninja Casino was targeted for failing to introduce responsible gambling and anti-money laundering practices to its offer. The brand has tried to relaunch numerous times including early in February 2020, but the efforts so far have been futile.

A New Beginning under Entain for Ninja Casino

Nevertheless, Entain will try to resurrect the brand in Sweden, as the company is looking to operate in every legal market and comply with regulatory norms. Outgoing Entain CEO Shay Segev set Entain’s new strategy last year, arguing that the company would seek to only operate in regulated markets and make sure it abides by local statures.  

This commitment by Entain may be just what it takes for the Spelinspektionen to green light the conditional return of Ninja Casino, which will come with serious scrutiny from the watchdog, regardless of who is running business.

Entain will use the bwin license to resurrect the brand, regulator permitting, and seek to touch base with all consumer protection measures and AML protocols.

“It’s a regulated market that fits in line with our strategy. Enlabs’ acquisition of Global Gaming and particularly Ninja Casino provides an interesting opportunity for us,” Segev said recently.

Segev is optimistic that Entain can play host to Ninja Casino, citing the company’s experience with bwin in the Nordics and replicating this expertise in running day-to-day affairs for the defunct brand that is nevertheless looking for a return.