About this app
About Chess Online & Offline
Announced on Thursday, the strategic partnership will grant Spotlight’s network of global sportsbook operators access to Engage Games’ bespoke games, each built collaboratively with Spotlight’s partners.
It marks Spotlight’s first expansion into gaming, combining the company’s global product and content distribution with Engage Games’ platform and track record in free-to-play and pay-to-play games.
Spotlight said the decision to enter the gaming sphere comes as operators increasingly turn towards free-to-play games as a means of “engagement, retention, reactivation and acquisition”.
What is Chess Online & Offline?
This selection reflects a mix of both local and internationally-based operators. The list reflects operators that were previously active in the market, meaning so far no new operators have received an approval to operate.
Both LiveScore and Tombola, who were a part of the original 10 operators to receive a licence, exited the market in 2024.
Compared to the 2021 licensing round, the KSA adopted a more granular and stringent approach to its licence renewal process. This was expected following new policy rules set out by the regulator in September 2025.
About Chess Online & Offline
Carolyn Lidgerwood, an ACMA member, stressed the importance of respecting self-exclusion decisions, stating “providers must respect that decision” and “must have robust systems in place”.
These remarks align with a broader regulatory focus on harm-minimisation within online gambling, where adherence to self-exclusion protocols is under closer scrutiny.
“These were serious breaches by Dabble. Wagering providers must have robust systems in place to protect people who have chosen to self-exclude,” Lidgerwood added.