Bookee vows to return after white-label closure
Co-founder Adam Wilson says the start-up isn’t “going anywhere” after white-label provider EveryMatrix’s decision to withdraw from UK
Swipe-to-bet app developer Bookee has vowed to bounce back following the closure of its UK product, which was announced today
The app was live on an EveryMatrix white-label, which today informed Bookee customers it had ceased operating in the UK.
The closure comes after the provider gave up its B2C licence because its white-label business had become “irreparably damaged” by a recent licence suspension.
However, Bookee, which first launched nearly three years, said it plans to return to the market “perhaps in a new guise”.
“We built a brand from scratch on a shoe-string budget and went from taking micro stakes to over £20m in bets staked over a three-year period,” Bookee co-founder Adam Wilson said in a LinkedIn post.
“In that time we won three awards, saw hundreds of thousands of bets placed, and over 15 million bet cards were swiped.”
“There is good news; we aren’t going anywhere. Bookee will be back, perhaps in a different guise, but it will be back. Even more good news – we have a new product that is about to hit the shelve. It’s awesome.”
Announcement to Bookee customers today
Wilson said the betting brand had been given two hours’ notice about EveryMatrix’s licence review and suspension of its white-label products.
“This note is not to drum up sympathy, but rather to raise awareness that white label agreements come with a certain amount of freedom whilst also providing a distinct lack of control,” Wilson said.
“With two hours’ notice, we were told the lights were being switched off through no fault of our own, and there was nothing we could do about it.”
EveryMatrix’s licence was initially suspended by the UK Gambling Commission on 5 September, with the regulator citing concerns about the company’s social responsibility protocols and level of interaction with customers.
On Monday, the Malta-based provider announced it had opted to withdraw its UK operating licence completely but said it would continue to offer its B2B services in the market.