Ladbrokes, one of the world’s biggest and most well-known bookmakers, announced today that they have decided to withdraw from more European countries, following up on a decision the company made last year to do the same.

Ladbrokes announced that they will be excluding their services to players in Finland, Portugal, Russia and Romania, due to changes in the local, European and UK gambling regulations and legislations. The changes will most likely lead to the company obtaining licenses in the countries to operate once they are up for grabs, making the exit a strategy to not be blacklisted.

“We continually review our presence in markets according to legal advice and regulatory conditions. This is an ongoing process and the markets we have withdrawn from are not material.” A spokesperson from Ladbrokes told to iGamingBusiness.com.

Ladbrokes exited several European markets last year, including the very beneficial markets of Norway and Switzerland. They have also moved out of the Canadian market in an attempt to be able to purchase a license to operate there later on.