Incentive Games gets licence to launch games in the UK, following breakout in US and Brazil

Online casino game provider, Incentive Games, has announced it has received a licence from the UK Gambling Commission. 

The licence was confirmed on 27 March and enables the company to offer its pay-to-play games to the UK market. The company already has strong ties to Stoke-on-Trent-based bet365, with the pair having launched games in Brazil and the US in recent months. 

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As of 2023, there are believed to be at least 175 online casinos operating legally in the UK, and the UKGC has the power to issue more licences to new operators. 

In September 2024, the UKGC announced figures showing annual revenue of £4.4bn at UK-licensed online casinos with a further £2.4bn of revenue from remote betting. 

The UK represents a substantial market, although it is likely the US has overtaken the UK as the largest online betting market in the world. The granting of a UK licence means that software makers can offer their casino games to UK casinos and betting sites. 

The company’s recently appointed CEO, Ahmed Baker, said of the announcement: “The UK is a critical market for us, and we’re thrilled to introduce our industry-leading games to UK operators and players. This achievement marks a pivotal step forward in our growth strategy.”

Incentive Games was founded by former BP lead chemical and process engineer John Gordon in 2013. It started with a fantasy football betting site, Premier Punt, which was sold in 2019. The company used the funds from the sale to rebrand as a maker of customer-acquisition games. 

Incentive Games aims to reduce customer acquisition costs for online casinos and betting sites by providing bespoke software to its clients, and one of its biggest clients, certainly in recent years, has been bet365.

In March 2025, Incentive Games partnered with bet365 to launch the bet365 Bracket Challenge game. Bracket Challenge offered players the chance to win a $10m (£7.8m) jackpot by correctly predicting scores during the March Madness college basketball event. 

The free-to-play game followed another launch by the pair in January 2025. Having been granted a full pay-to-play gaming licence in Brazil earlier in the month, Incentive Games launched a pay-to-play crash game called Velocity to the potentially lucrative, newly regulated, Brazilian market, in conjunction with bet365. 

Brazil is seen as one of the biggest potential markets, having just launched its regulated sports betting and iGaming markets in early 2025. 

At the time, a spokesperson for bet365 said: “We’re delighted to yet again partner with Incentive Games in what promises to be an amazing gaming experience for our players.”

Away from licencing deals and game launches, Incentive Games has also expanded its executive team, appointing Ahmed Baker as the company’s chief compliance officer in February 2025. 

Baker has more than 20 years of experience in the iGaming industry, having previously been director of business development at Pragmatic Play and account manager at Betfair. 

Baker said of the UKGC licence acquisition: “Securing our UK Gambling Commission licence is a major milestone for Incentive Games. It reinforces our dedication to meeting the highest regulatory standards while continuing to develop world-class products for our partners.”