History of Bet365 in Timeline

Bet365 is a British gambling company established in 2000 by Denise Coates, who serves as joint-chief executive alongside her brother John Coates. Headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent with additional offices in Manchester and Malta, Bet365 provides a wide range of online gambling products. Its offerings include sports betting, online casino games, online poker, and online bingo.

1974: Peter Coates Starts Betting Shop Estate

In 1974, Peter Coates started the family's betting shop estate, which would later be used to secure a loan for Bet365.

1995: Denise Coates Becomes Managing Director

In 1995, Denise Coates became the managing director of the family's betting shop estate.

2000: Bet365 Founded in Stoke-on-Trent

In 2000, Bet365 was founded in a portable building in Stoke-On-Trent by Denise Coates.

2000: Bet365 Founded

In 2000, Bet365, a British gambling company, was founded. Its product offering includes online casino, sports betting, online poker, and online bingo.

March 2001: Bet365 Launches Online

In March 2001, Denise Coates launched Bet365 online after developing a sports betting platform and trading team. The business borrowed £15 million from Royal Bank of Scotland against the family's betting shop estate.

2005: Bet365 Sells Betting Shop Chain

In 2005, Bet365 sold its betting shop chain to Coral for £40 million and used the funds to pay off its loan to RBS.

2010: Bet365 Wins "Operator of the Year" Award

In 2010, Bet365 won the "Operator of the Year" award at the eGaming Review Operator Awards. The company also ranked third in The Sunday Times Profit Track 100 league table.

2010: eGaming Review Ranks Bet365 Number One

In 2010, eGaming Review magazine ranked Bet365 the number one Internet gaming company.

2010: Ray Winstone Becomes the Face of Bet365

Since 2010, actor Ray Winstone has been the face of Bet365 in the UK. The company also sponsors Stoke City F.C.'s shirt and stadium.

2011: eGaming Review Ranks Bet365 Number One

In 2011, eGaming Review magazine ranked Bet365 the number one Internet gaming company.

May 2012: Bet365 Signs Sponsorship Deal with Stoke City

In May 2012, Bet365 signed a three-year contract with Stoke City to become the club's shirt sponsors.

2012: eGaming Review Ranks Bet365 Number One and Denise Coates Receives CBE

In 2012, eGaming Review magazine ranked Bet365 the number one Internet gaming company. Also in 2012, Denise Coates received a CBE in the Queen's New Year Honours list.

February 2013: Denise Coates Named One of the UK's Most Powerful Women

In February 2013, Denise Coates was named as one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom by Woman's Hour at BBC Radio 4.

October 2014: Report of Bet365 Taking Bets from Chinese Citizens

In October 2014, The Guardian newspaper reported that Bet365 had been taking bets from Chinese citizens using obscure domain names to bypass government web censorship.

April 2016: Bet365 Becomes Stadium Title Sponsor

In April 2016, Bet365 became the new title sponsors for Stoke City's stadium for the next six seasons, replacing Britannia Building Society.

2016: Bet365 Refuses Payout in England and Freezes Account in Australia

In 2016, Bet365 refused a £54,000 payout to a customer in England and froze the account of a punter in Australia who had won around A$200,000, refusing to pay out.

2016: Bet365 Fined for Misleading Advertisements

In 2016, Bet365 was fined A$2.75 million by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission for misleading advertisements that falsely promised "free bets" to customers.

2017: Bet365 Taken to Court for Refusing to Pay Winnings

In 2017, Bet365 was taken to court for refusing to pay over £1 million in winnings to a horse bettor in Northern Ireland. A case from 2016, in which they refused a payout of £54,000 to a customer in England, was still ongoing.

2017: Denise Coates Becomes Highest Paid Executive

In 2017, Denise Coates became the highest paid executive in the UK, awarding herself a salary of £217 million.

2018: Denise Coates' Pay Rises

In 2018, Denise Coates' pay packet rose to £265m as Bet365 reported profits up 31% to £660 million, prompting criticism.

2018: Bet365 Announces Plans to Launch in the United States

In 2018, following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on sports betting, Bet365 announced plans to launch in the United States, starting with New Jersey in partnership with Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City.

January 2019: Bet365 Ranks Second on The Sunday Times Tax List

In January 2019, Bet365 ranked second on The Sunday Times list of the UK's top taxpayers, with the Coates family paying an estimated total tax of £156 million.

2019: UK Bookmakers Agree to Increase Funds to Combat Gambling Addiction

In the summer of 2019, major UK bookmakers, including Bet365, agreed to increase funds to combat gambling addiction from 0.1% to 1% of gross income over five years.

March 2020: Bet365 Reports Revenue and Profit Figures

In the reported figures for March 2020–21, Bet365 showed revenues of £2.8 billion and a profit of £470 million before tax.

2020: Bet365 Employee Count Reaches Over 4,000

As of 2020, Bet365 employed over 4,000 people across its various offices, including the headquarters in Stoke-on-Trent and other locations in Manchester, Gibraltar, Malta, Bulgaria, Armenia, and Australia.

September 2021: Bet365 Announces Launch in Colorado

In September 2021, Bet365 announced its launch in Colorado through a licensing and revenue share deal with Century Casinos.

April 2022: Bet365 Launches in Ontario

In April 2022, Bet365 was launched in Ontario, Canada, after being approved by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

September 2022: Bet365 Opens Operations in Colorado

On September 6, 2022, Bet365 officially opened operations in Colorado.

2022: External Audit Ordered

In 2022, an external audit was ordered, triggering further scrutiny.

March 2024: Austrac Investigates Bet365

In March 2024, Australia's financial crime agency, Austrac, initiated an investigation into Bet365 for potential non-compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws.

August 2024: Bet365 Ordered to Pay Shorted Payments in New Jersey

In August 2024, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement ordered Bet365 to pay more than $519,000 to customers it had shorted on payments.

December 2024: Bet365 Wins SBC Bookmaker of the Year

In December 2024, Bet365 won the SBC Bookmaker of the Year for the fifth consecutive year.

2024: Denise Coates Criticised Over Payouts

In 2024, Denise Coates was criticised after receiving payouts of more than £270 million the year before, including a salary of £220.7 million and dividends of £50 million, despite Bet365 posting a £60 million loss.