History of Bet365 in Timeline

Bet365 is a British gambling company established in 2000, providing services like sports betting, online casino games, poker, and bingo. Headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent with satellite offices in Manchester and Malta, it's primarily owned and managed by Denise Coates as joint-chief executive, alongside her brother John Coates. Bet365 has become a prominent name in the online gambling industry.

1974: Betting shop estate started

In 1974, Peter Coates started the family's betting shop estate, which Denise Coates ran as managing director from 1995.

1995: Denise Coates becomes managing director

In 1995, Denise Coates became the managing director of the family's betting shop estate, which had been started by Peter Coates in 1974.

2000: Company founded

In 2000, bet365 was founded in a portable building in Stoke-On-Trent by Denise Coates.

March 2001: Business launched online

In March 2001, Denise Coates developed a sports betting platform and trading team to launch the bet365 business online.

2005: Betting shop chain sold to Coral

In 2005, bet365 sold its betting shop chain for £40 million to Coral and paid off its loan to RBS.

2010: eGaming Review Operator of the Year Award

At the eGaming Review Operator Awards 2010 organised by eGaming Review magazine, bet365 won the "Operator of the Year" award.

2010: eGaming Review Magazine Ranks bet365 as #1 Internet Gaming Company

In 2010, eGaming Review magazine ranked bet365 as the number one Internet gaming company as part of its annual Power 50 list.

2010: Ray Winstone Becomes the Face of bet365

Since 2010, the face of bet365 in the UK has been actor Ray Winstone.

2011: eGaming Review Magazine Ranks bet365 as #1 Internet Gaming Company

In 2011, eGaming Review magazine ranked bet365 as the number one Internet gaming company as part of its annual Power 50 list.

May 2012: Shirt Sponsorship Deal Signed with Stoke City

In May 2012, bet365 signed a three-year contract with Stoke City to become shirt sponsors.

2012: eGaming Review Magazine Ranks bet365 as #1 Internet Gaming Company

In 2012, eGaming Review magazine ranked bet365 as the number one Internet gaming company as part of its annual Power 50 list.

February 2013: Denise Coates named one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom

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: Taking Bets from Chinese Citizens

In October 2014, The Guardian newspaper reported that bet365 had been taking bets from Chinese citizens by using obscure domain names in order to avoid government web censorship.

April 2016: Title Sponsors for Stoke City's Stadium

In April 2016, bet365 became the new title sponsors for Stoke City's stadium for the next six seasons, replacing the Britannia Building Society.

2016: Refusal of Payout and Account Freeze

In 2016, bet365 refused a payout of £54,000 to a customer in England, a case which was still ongoing in 2017. In Australia, bet365 froze the account of a punter who had won around A$200,000, refusing to pay out.

2016: Fined for Misleading Advertisements

In 2016, bet365 was fined A$2.75 million by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission for misleading advertisements which falsely promised "free bets" to customers.

2017: Denise Coates Becomes Highest Paid Executive in the UK

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

2017: Court Case 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.

2018: Pay Packet Rise

In 2018, Denise Coates' pay packet rose to £265m as the company reported profits up 31% to £660 million, prompting criticism from problem gambling charity groups.

2018: Plans to Launch in the United States Announced

In 2018, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on sports betting, bet365 announced plans to launch in the United States, starting with New Jersey, through a partnership with Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City.

January 2019: Ranked Second on The Sunday Times List of UK's Top Taxpayers

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: Agreement to Combat Gambling Addiction

In 2019, the largest UK bookmakers and online casino operators, including bet365, agreed to transfer funds to combat gambling addiction, increasing the amount from 0.1% to 1% of gross income over five years.

March 2020: Reported Revenues and Profit

bet365's reported figures for March 2020–21 showed revenues of £2.8 billion and a profit of £470 million before tax.

2020: Employee Count

As of 2020, bet365, in addition to its headquarters in Stoke-on-Trent, had further offices in Manchester, Gibraltar, Malta, United States, Bulgaria, Armenia and Australia. The group employed over 4,000 people.

September 2021: Launch in Colorado Announced

In September 2021, bet365 announced that it will launch in Colorado with a licensing and revenue share deal with Century Casinos.

April 2022: Launch in Ontario

In April 2022, bet365 was launched in Ontario after being approved by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario to conduct sports betting activities in the province.

September 2022: Operations opened in Colorado

On 6 September 2022, bet365 opened up operations in Colorado.

2022: Ordered external audit

In 2022, bet365 underwent an ordered external audit which resulted in Australia's financial crime agency, Austrac, initiating an investigation into bet365 for potential non-compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws in March 2024.

March 2024: Austrac Investigation

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: New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement Orders Payment

In August 2024, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement ordered that bet365 was required to pay more than $519,000 to customers it had shorted on payments.

December 2024: SBC Bookmaker of the Year

In December 2024, bet365 won the SBC Bookmaker of the Year for the fifth consecutive year.

2024: Criticism After Receiving High Payouts

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