iGaming.com Group Acquires Spanish Sports Outlet Relevo

The iGaming.com Group has taken a significant strategic step in the Spanish market by acquiring the sports news outlet Relevo. With this move, the international media group expands its portfolio, which previously consisted mainly of information and comparison platforms, to include a genuine sports newsroom. The Relevo project, founded in 2022, will now continue under new ownership. It was emphasized that this is a long-term investment focused on sustainable growth and a close connection with the sports-interested audience in Spain.

The Spanish market is considered one of the most tightly regulated yet active online gambling markets in Europe. The acquisition includes not only the brand name and the Relevo.com domain but also the entire archive and all associated social media accounts. With a team of nearly 300 employees worldwide, the iGaming.com Group now brings its technological expertise and data capabilities to support Relevo's editorial power. Editorial independence is to be maintained while the operational structure is placed on a new foundation.

Numbers and facts

The economic relevance of this market is illustrated by recent data from the Spanish regulator DGOJ (Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego). In the first quarter, online gross gambling revenue (GGR) in Spain rose to €454.1 million. This represents a 13.9 percent increase compared to the previous year. The online casino segment was the largest single category. This positive market development provides ideal ground for portals like Relevo that offer both sports news and licensed gambling comparisons.

The group emphasizes that Relevo works exclusively with operators holding a valid DGOJ license. Affiliate links are clearly disclosed, and commercial relationships are intended to have no influence on editorial ratings. Relevo's casino rankings incorporate criteria such as security checks, the size of the games catalog, verified return to player (RTP) figures, and supported payment methods. The current 2026-27 campaign is the first full season the newsroom is covering under the new flag of the iGaming.com Group.

Background

The acquisition of Relevo by the iGaming.com Group sits within a broader context of acquisitions in the sports media sector by betting-related companies. While many deals in recent years involved data providers or pure affiliate sites, the purchase of a daily newsroom is a unique occurrence. CEO Andreas Ditsche sees this as a major opportunity for the company.

"Spain is an important long-term market for iGaming.com Group, and Relevo gives us the opportunity to invest in an established Spanish media brand with a strong editorial identity and an existing relationship with sports audiences." - Andreas Ditsche, CEO of iGaming.com Group

Relevo covers football as well as basketball, cycling, and motorsport. The editorial management has put clear working rules in writing on the site to ensure that advertisers or sponsors have no influence on the content of the reporting. This is intended to strengthen the brand's credibility and create a high-quality media product that stands out from short-term campaigns.

Why it matters for German players

For German players, this development is an important signal of the professionalization of the sector. Although Relevo primarily serves the Spanish market, the iGaming.com Group's strategy shows that transparency and licensing are becoming the standard. In Germany, particularly strict rules apply through the State Treaty on Gambling 2021 (GlüStV 2021). Players should only play with providers listed on the official whitelist of the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL). Important protective measures such as the deposit limit of €1,000 per month via the LUGAS system and the stake limit of €1 per game on virtual slots are firmly anchored there.

The trend of media houses increasingly focusing on education and license checks also benefits the German market. Portals like casino.de, which also belong to the group, already offer features such as a license check that matches domains directly against the GGL whitelist. This protects German users from illegal overseas offers that often lack player protection. The professionalization in Spain through Relevo underscores the goal of allowing gambling advertising to take place only in a serious, editorial environment.

What it means for GGL-licensed casinos

For GGL-licensed operators, the expansion of large media groups like iGaming.com means that the advertising environment for licensed offers is becoming higher in quality. Serious providers no longer have to be presented alongside dubious offshore casinos when advertising on platforms that follow strict compliance rules. Relevo uses clear criteria for its recommendations, which strengthens the channel for legal operators in the long run. In Germany, this separation between legal GGL casinos and black market providers is already required by the advertising rules of GlüStV 2021, but the implementation into editorial formats increases user acceptance.