Dabble Approved for Online Casino License Ahead of Potential Launch

Dabble has been granted a UK online casino license by British regulator the Gambling Commission, ahead of a potential move into the vertical in the UK.

Dabble, which is primarily associated with its native market of Australia, has been operating in the UK since June last year, when it launched its social betting app.

Dabble has a diverse offering, as it has operated a sportsbook in Australia since 2021, and moved into the US with a daily fantasy sports app in 2023. Dabble’s social betting offering allows users to follow and replicate bets made by friends and influencers.

A license update

A page on the Gambling Commission’s website which outlines Dabble’s license now also lists an online casino license as active. It is currently unclear when exactly Dabble plans to launch its online casino in the UK.

Dabble has also been approved for a general betting standard – virtual event license, allowing it to offer more online gambling products outside casino games. This adds to Dabble’s general betting standard – real event license which became active in April 2025 ahead of its UK launch.

Improving performance

In 2022, Tabcorp, widely regarded as Australia’s biggest gambling company, purchased a 20% stake in Dabble for A$33 million (£16.8 million); Tabcorp now holds a 23% interest in Dabble.

Venture capital firm Yolo Investments is also a shareholder in Dabble. Tabcorp includes Dabble’s performance in its financial results, which have showed significant growth for Dabble since Tabcorp’s investment.

Dabble generated revenue of A$274.2 million in the year to June 30, 2025. This was more than double the A$117.8 million generated in the previous year; Dabble’s annualised revenue for 2021/22 was A$47 million.

Dabble also became profitable in the 2024/25 financial year, with its A$16.8 million profit being in contrast to the A$14.1 million loss reported for 2023/24.

In 2024, Dabble was reported to be considering listing on the Nasdaq or Australian Securities Exchange, when Dabble’s management was said to be collaborating with both Australian and US advisors to assess its various IPO options.

UK tax issues

This is a difficult time for an operator to be coming into the UK’s online casino market, with a significant tax increase to be introduced in the near future.

In the November Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that from April 1, 2026, remote gaming duty, paid on online casino bets, will be raised to 40% of gross profit from 21%.

Dabble will also have to deal with a rise in general betting duty, paid on online sports bets, which will increase from 15% to 25% of gross profit, on April 1, 2027; bets on horseracing will be exempt from this increase.

Dabble’s move is reminiscent of Betty; a Canadian online casino operator which has applied for a license from the Gambling Commission. Justin Park, Betty CEO, argued this could lead to a change in the landscape that could allow for new players in the market to claim market share, with new operators not being required to downsize any operations that are already active.

Park wrote on LinkedIn:

“While it’s a massive shift, it actually creates a unique opening for the next generation of operators. We’ve already seen how a changing regulatory landscape allowed nimble teams - like Midnite - to start taking material market share.

"Instead of spending years refactoring legacy code just to stay compliant, they've managed to focus on delighting players through product innovation. This tax hike will only accelerate this trend.”