Key points about the content-sharing partnership between VERSUS and Betsoft Gaming
Announcement: on 26 April 2022, Betsoft Gaming announced that its slots were coming to VERSUS, a Spanish operator licensed by the DGOJ.
Content: the studio claimed more than 200 RNG titles and set aside a selection of its hits for VERSUS, translated and localised into Spanish.
Operator: VERSUS is the online brand of the Orenes Group, whose first gaming arcade opened in 1968 in the Murcia region.
Former name: the brand was called Vive la Suerte until its name change, announced on 6 November 2019.
Licences: the DGOJ grants Versus Online, S.A. two general licences and six singular licences, including the one for slots.
Colombia: the press release mentions the country only for Betsoft's two ISMS audits, announced in February 2020, and not for the VERSUS deal.
Atlético de Madrid: in September 2020, VERSUS signed a three-season sponsorship deal with the Madrid club.
Royal Decree: Decree 958/2020 bans gambling sponsorship on shirts and sports kit, and contracts had to comply by 31 August 2021.
Timeline: in Spain, VERSUS came after Casino Gran Madrid, Wanabet and Paf, and before 888casino, RETAbet.es and Casino777.es.
Market: according to the DGOJ, Spain's online casino segment grew from €498.34 million in gross gaming revenue in 2022 to €893 million in 2025.
Betsoft Gaming joins the VERSUS game library in Spain
On 26 April 2022, Betsoft Gaming announced that its slots were coming to VERSUS, the online brand of Spain's Orenes Group. Less than three weeks earlier, the studio had taken its games live on Roobet, a crypto casino platform founded in 2019. Two rooms, two very different atmospheres. With VERSUS, Betsoft was taking a seat at a far more closely watched table. In this market, no operator sets up shop without a DGOJ licence from the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego, Spain's gambling regulator.
The announcement runs to just a few paragraphs, yet it tells the story of a Maltese studio patiently advancing in a regulated market. It also slips in a sentence about Colombia that is easy to misread.
What was in the 26 April 2022 announcement?
Betsoft made the deal official on its own website. Its 26 April 2022 press release presents VERSUS as an operator licensed by the DGOJ. The operator is subject to Spain's remote gambling regulations. The release also points out that the brand belongs to the Orenes Group.
On the games themselves, the announcement gave little away. Betsoft claimed more than 200 RNG titles, whose outcomes are drawn by a random number generator. VERSUS was to receive a selection of the studio's biggest hits, translated and localised for Spanish-speaking players. No title was named.
Two quotes completed the picture. Anna Mackney, then Head of Account Management at Betsoft, hailed VERSUS as a “renowned and reputable brand”. On the operator side, Juan José López was Sports Betting and Online Gambling Director. For him, working with a “mobile first” content provider was essential to give players access to the best slots.
That “mobile first” always makes me smile a little. With good reason: in 2022, which studio would have pitched itself any other way? The phrase says little about Betsoft. It says more about VERSUS, which preferred to talk up mobile entertainment rather than the 3D graphics of its new provider.
Why does Colombia appear in the press release?
The release stated that Betsoft had passed two ISMS audits to allow operations “in both Spain and Colombia”. An ISMS is an information security management system. The audit checks how the provider protects the confidentiality, availability and integrity of its games.
Both audits were carried out by iTech Labs and announced in February 2020. Spain came first, with Colombia following a week later. They concerned Betsoft, not its new partner. Nothing in the text extends the deal with VERSUS beyond Spain.
Who is behind VERSUS?
From Vive la Suerte to VERSUS
The VERSUS story begins far from any screen. You have to go back to 1968. That year, in the Murcia region, the first arcade of what would become the Orenes Group opened its doors: a few machines, table football and a billiards table. By 2019, the company claimed 11 casinos in Spain and Mexico. It also ran 21 bingo halls, 300 gaming halls and more than 500 betting outlets.
Its online brand was then called Vive la Suerte. On 6 November 2019, Orenes announced that it would become VERSUS, according to an article in Murcia Economía. The group's CEO, Javier López Cerrón, summed up the ambition with an image any player will understand. “With Versus, we are doubling down to conquer the digital world,” he said. The operating company took the name Versus Online, S.A. on 10 February 2020.
I find this name change telling. “Vive la suerte” (long live luck) raised a toast to chance. VERSUS, on the other hand, evokes a duel and a match. Vive la Suerte already sponsored several clubs, from Real Murcia to Cádiz CF, and the new name simply suited that playing field better.
Two general licences and six singular licences
Before I write a single line about an operator, I always check its licence with the regulator. The Versus Online entry in the DGOJ register lists two general licences. The first, “Otros juegos” (other games), includes casino games and dates from 1 June 2012. The second, “Apuestas” (betting), has covered betting since 6 June 2018.
On top of these come six singular licences, one per game type. The one that matters to Betsoft is called “Máquinas de azar” (gaming machines): without it, an operator cannot offer online slots. Obtained in May 2016, it was renewed in March 2021 and again in February 2026. A small calendar coincidence: the general casino licence had been extended on 25 March 2022, one month before Betsoft's announcement.
Atlético de Madrid up against Royal Decree 958/2020
In September 2020, VERSUS became an official sponsor of Atlético de Madrid for three seasons, in the sports betting and online casino category. According to AZARplus, the contract put the brand on the players' match and training shorts. It also included hospitality, image and digital rights.
Two months later, the rules changed. On 4 November 2020, Spain's official gazette, the BOE, published Royal Decree 958/2020 on commercial communications for gambling. Its Article 12 bans sponsorship on shirts and sports kit. Contracts already signed had until 31 August 2021 to comply.
Match shorts count as sports kit. If Betsoft described the sponsorship as compliant with the decree in April 2022, it must by then have been running through channels other than the players' kit.
Betsoft's Spanish journey from 2019 to 2023
VERSUS did not open the Spanish market to Betsoft. Back in September 2019, the announcement of the Wanabet deal already mentioned an agreement signed in July with Casino Gran Madrid. Wanabet belongs to the R. Franco group. Here are the milestones the studio announced.
Date
Operator or milestone
What the announcement said
July 2019
Casino Gran Madrid
Deal recalled by Betsoft at its next signing
September 2019
Wanabet (R. Franco)
Deal on the regulated Spanish market
February 2020
ISMS audits (iTech Labs)
Green light for Spain, then for Colombia a week later
April 2021
Paf
Partnership signed in August 2020 extended to the Spanish site
April 2022
VERSUS (Orenes Group)
Selection of hits translated and localised into Spanish
August 2022
888casino
Launch of Betsoft games on the Spanish site
November 2022
RETAbet.es
Launch with a DGOJ-licensed betting operator
February 2023
Casino777.es
Operator billed as “Tier 1”
After VERSUS, the pace picked up. Betsoft announced its arrival on 888casino in Spain in August, followed by a launch with Retabet in November 2022. According to the announcement at the time, this sports betting specialist gave the studio access to “a new player demographic”.
The momentum carried on into 2023. In February, the arrival on Casino777.es added a brand launched in 2015, which Betsoft billed as a “Tier 1” operator. Put together, these deals add up to a step-by-step strategy: multiplying local partners rather than betting everything on one big name.
How has Spain's online casino market changed since 2022?
In the year of the deal, Spanish online gambling generated €962.96 million in gross gaming revenue, meaning stakes minus winnings paid out. Casino accounted for €498.34 million of that, according to the DGOJ annual report covered by AZARplus in March 2023. Slots made up 60.23% of casino revenue.
By 2025, the picture had changed in scale. The market reached €1,700.55 million according to the DGOJ 2025 report published by AZARplus, up 16.99% on 2024. Online casino accounted for €893 million. Slots, for their part, made up 69.11% of that amount.
Do the maths: slots would have grown from about €300 million in 2022 to some €617 million in 2025. More than double in three years, on Betsoft's favourite playing field.
One unknown remains. The DGOJ breaks revenue down by game type, not by studio. As a result, there is no way to put a figure on Betsoft's share of this growth. The provider has kept investing in the country, as the announcements from its other partner operators since 2022 show. In gaming as in business, nobody doubles down on a market that disappoints.
FAQ: Betsoft Gaming and VERSUS
When did Betsoft Gaming join VERSUS?
Betsoft Gaming announced its arrival on VERSUS on 26 April 2022. The studio presented the operator as licensed by the DGOJ, Spain's regulator. It promised a selection of its biggest hits, translated and localised for Spanish-speaking players. No game was named in the announcement.
What is VERSUS?
VERSUS is the online gambling brand of the Orenes Group. It was born in the Murcia region of Spain. It brings together casino and sports betting. Its operating company was called Vive la Suerte, S.A. until 10 February 2020, when it became Versus Online, S.A.
Is VERSUS licensed by the DGOJ?
Yes. The DGOJ register lists two general licences for Versus Online, S.A.: “Otros juegos” since 2012 and “Apuestas” since 2018. It also holds six singular licences. The slots licence, obtained in 2016, was renewed in March 2021 and again in February 2026.
Does the Betsoft and VERSUS deal cover Colombia?
No. The press release mentions Colombia only to recall the two ISMS audits Betsoft passed, announced in February 2020 for Spain and then for Colombia. The VERSUS deal covers the Spanish market, where the operator holds its licences.
How many games does Betsoft offer?
In April 2022, Betsoft claimed more than 200 RNG titles. These are games whose outcomes depend on a random number generator. For VERSUS, the studio announced a selection of its biggest translated and localised hits, without saying how many.
Why did Vive la Suerte become VERSUS?
The Orenes Group wanted a global brand, recognisable anywhere in the world and able to compete with the major international operators, according to its CEO Javier López Cerrón. The name change was announced on 6 November 2019.
What is the link between VERSUS and Atlético de Madrid?
In September 2020, VERSUS became an official sponsor of Atlético de Madrid for three seasons, in the sports betting and online casino category. The contract put the brand on the match and training shorts. It also included hospitality, image and digital rights.
What does Royal Decree 958/2020 say about sports sponsorship?
Its Article 12 bans gambling operators from sponsoring shirts and sports kit, and from using their name to identify a sports venue. Published in the BOE on 4 November 2020, the decree gave existing contracts until 31 August 2021 to comply.
Which other Spanish operators has Betsoft signed with?
Betsoft's announced deals include Casino Gran Madrid and Wanabet in 2019, Paf in 2021, then 888casino and RETAbet.es in 2022, and Casino777.es in February 2023. The VERSUS deal, in April 2022, sits in the middle of this series.
How big is the online casino market in Spain?
According to the DGOJ annual report, online casino generated €893 million in gross gaming revenue in 2025, out of a total online market of €1,700.55 million. Slots accounted for 69.11% of casino revenue.
