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bet365 has officially joined the Sports Betting Alliance (SBA), becoming the first new member since the group was created in 2021. The move strengthens the Alliance’s push for safe, legal sports betting in the United States and marks another step in bet365’s growing presence across the country.
Good to know
The SBA formed to promote regulated online sports betting and iGaming and has taken a stand against unlicensed gambling platforms and regulatory policies seen as harmful to legal operators. Until now, the group was made up of FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Fanatics. With bet365 stepping in, the Alliance adds more international weight.
SBA President Jeremy Kudon said, “bet365 shares the SBA’s commitment to a regulated, transparent and sustainable U.S. online gaming market. Together, we’ll continue fighting for more states to swap their dangerous and unregulated sports betting and iGaming products for regulated, consumer-protected legal platforms.”
Bet365 spokesperson Trip Stoddard also emphasized the company’s position: “We look forward to stamping out illegal and unregulated betting and bringing regulated sports betting to all 50 states.”
The timing of the announcement comes as bet365 continues to build its U.S. footprint. After slower early growth, the U.K.-based operator has made up ground quickly. The company entered three new states in 2023—Arizona, Indiana, and Pennsylvania—and opened a U.S. headquarters in Denver. In early 2024, it launched in Illinois and Tennessee and has secured a marketing partnership with the St. Louis Cardinals ahead of Missouri’s expected sports betting rollout.
Earlier this year, data from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming highlighted bet365 and Fanatics as rising players in the U.S. market, noting their impact on the established market positions of operators like Caesars and BetMGM.
Outside the U.S., bet365 has shifted focus. The company exited China and sold its stake in English football club Stoke City F.C., signaling a change in its global strategy that now leans heavily into North America.
In January, bet365 reported that revenue for its fiscal year ending in March 2024 was up 9% from the previous year. The company attributed much of that growth to its U.S. market gains.
The SBA has taken on several legal and regulatory issues in recent years, including fighting against higher tax structures such as Illinois’ per-bet fee, which now has the operators undertake action. Fanduel has already announced a per bet fee, while Draftkings is still working out their response. The group continues to lobby for safer and more efficient online gambling policies across the country.
As of recently, there are also indications that Bet365 may consider going public or selling a stake in a deal estimated to be worth $12 billion.