bet365 Launches in Indiana and Arizona, Continuing Expansion
British online gambling operator bet365 has launched for sports betting in Indiana and Arizona in the past weeks, ahead of the football betting bonanza expected for Super Bowl LVIII on February 11.
The bet365 online sportsbook went live in Arizona on Monday, February 6, after launching in Indiana on January 30.
That takes the British bookmaker into nine U.S. states after launching for sports betting in Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa, and Virginia in 2023. It has operated for Colorado sports betting since 2022, and in New Jersey since 2019.
It is also preparing to launch for North Carolina sports betting when that market opens in March.
In order to enter the Arizona market, bet365 has partnered with the Ak-Chin Indian Community. In Indiana, it partnered with French Lick Resort.
Indiana Launch
In Indiana, bet365 launched for 21+ customers last week. It started with two bonus offers, which are $2,000 in bonus bets and $150 of bonus bets.
“At bet365, we don’t do ordinary, and as the home of the country’s first professional baseball game, ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’, and a rich basketball history, neither does Indiana,” said a bet365 spokesperson.
“New and eligible sports fans in the Hoosier State, renowned for their passion and loyalty, can enjoy the bet365 experience featuring market-leading offerings like amazing Bet Boosts, the fastest In-Game product, and unique Same-Game Parlays.”
Under state regulations, operators offering sports betting in Indiana must partner with local Indiana casinos. In this case, bet365 has chosen French Lick Resort. The long-running casino resort features 1,300 slot machines and dozens of table games. The full complex also includes two spa hotels and three golf courses.
Arizona Launch
In Arizona, bet365 launched on Monday, February 6. It was granted a license last August by the Arizona Department of Gaming. It will be the 17th online sportsbook in the state.
The sportsbook launches with the same two bonus offers as in Indiana.
In Arizona, bet365 will partner with the Ak-Chin Indian Community, to which it will make a $1 million charitable donation to seal the deal.
“We are excited to partner with bet365 and appreciate its charitable contribution to the Community and vital services for Ak-Chin Members,” said Chairman Robert Miguel of the Ak-Chin Indian Community.
“With bet365, we will be able to provide our customers a premier experience – no matter whether they visit our sportsbook in-person or online.”
British Invasion
We included bet365 in our recap of the biggest sports betting stories of 2023, as the large British gambling company continued its U.S. expansion.
Now, going into 2024, that doesn’t look to be stopping anytime soon.
The operator’s ambitious plans seem not to have been affected by its recent Q4 2024 operational losses of $93 million. That figure would have been influenced by the hefty £345 million pay packet for CEO Denise Coates.
The family-owned business is free to pay its senior employees any salary it likes. In 2020, Coates was paid more than the CEO of any FTSE 100 company.
The billionaire founder of bet365 was, for several years, the UK’s biggest individual taxpayer. But she dropped off the top of the list in 2023.
bet365 is just one in a history of British bookmakers looking to make it big in the booming U.S. sportsbook market. William Hill was one of the first to capitalize on New Jersey sports betting in 2018, before its U.S. operations were bought out by Caesars.
As well as bet365, the current U.S. market is dominated by FanDuel, which has strong UK roots. Founded in Edinburgh, Scotland, before moving to its focus on the U.S. market, FanDuel is now owned by Flutter Entertainment, whose history is part Irish, part British.
The giant gambling operator Flutter recently moved from London to the New York Stock Exchange, as it increasingly focuses on the U.S. market.