Operator Bethard Group Announces Withdrawal From UK Gambling Market
Operator Bethard Group has announced its withdrawal from the UK’s online gambling market.
The popular operator, which owns the Bethard casino and sports betting website, announced the news in an email issued to customers earlier this week. The email confirmed Bethard’s exit from the UK market and its cease of operations with all UK-based customers.
According to Bethard Group’s email, the company’s withdrawal from the UK market will come into effect from July 6th, 2020. Until then, Bethard Group has allowed players to continue playing but after the date of closure, users will only be able to log-in to their player account to withdraw any remaining funds or to contact the customer support team.
Following July 6th, all UK accounts will be blocked and cannot be used to make deposits or play games. Any open bets will be voided and the stake reimbursed to player accounts, and all accounts will remain open until August 10th, 2020, for customers to withdraw any remaining funds.
If all funds are claimed by August 10th, any qualifying withdrawals requests will be automatically processed, any non-qualifying withdrawal requests will be cancelled, and all player accounts will be officially closed.
The email also included a statement from Bethard about the closure of its UK-facing website. It reads: “We at Bethard would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and hope you have enjoyed the cutting-edge gaming that Bethard.com has had to offer! We will do our utmost to ensure that we continue to offer you the best possible service during our last few weeks of operations.”
Bethard’s Closure
Bethard’s closure comes two years after the Swedish operator received its UK license, allowing to offer its gambling services to all residents within the United Kingdom. The casino quickly became popular after its launch due to its vast game selection as well as variety of promotions and bonuses.
It also became one of the first UK casino and sports betting operators to enforce custom deposit limits on players, requiring them to enter limits to their deposits to regulate their spending. Back then, Bethard claimed it was going “above and beyond” to help protect players when it came to online gambling.
Bethard is the latest gambling operator to withdraw from the UK market. Although no official reason was given, it’s thought that the firm has exited the market due to the increasingly tight restrictions imposed by the UK Gambling Commission.
Other operators to have left the UK market over the last few years include Royal Panda, Slotty Vegas, and EveryMatrix, all operators and casino websites that were hugely successful in the UK.