Bet365 is reportedly in early talks over a sale of the expansive gambling empire that could value the entity at £9 billion ($11.94b).
Owned by the Coates family, the international online betting operator is said to have entered into dialogue with Wall Street institutions and US-based advisors in recent weeks over a full or partial sale.
A potential transaction could even involve Bet365 being floated on the US stock exchange.
As reported by the Guardian, the process is at the fledgling stage with the Coates family taking soundings from banks which could assist them to maximise any sale.
Based in Stoke-On-Trent, England, the leading online gaming brand has risen from very humble beginnings to the major status it commands within the industry today.
In recent years, the company has been led by Denise Coates, Britain’s richest woman, who would gain more than £5 billion from a £9b sale, based on her significant 58% holding in the firm.
It was under her leadership that Bet365 emerged from the outside to eclipse established British brands such as Ladbrokes and William Hill. To their credit, Bet365 quickly grasped the importance of the online boom, pioneering gambling technology to deliver their offering that has continued to evolve.
Their ingenuity left rivals having to play catch-up.
Britain's betting scene could be in for a huge shake-up after a report the Coates family are considering a sale of bet365
Their online gambling empire could be valued at £9 billionhttps://t.co/gxUarJfkIy
— Racing Post (@RacingPost) May 1, 2025
Coates to cash out?
Bet365 has made some strategic decisions recently, which could make the company more attractive to interested US parties.
They include the exit from the Chinese market and the transfer of Stoke City Football Club into the ownership of John Coates, Denise’s brother. Bet365 has been a long-term sponsor of The Potters, a soccer club that plays in the second-tier English Championship.
“It would be very difficult to have China exposure given the level of scrutiny that might be applied in the US, and why would you have a football club attached, that’s a family legacy,” said Paul Leyland, director of the gambling consultancy Regulus Partners.
It could be that now is the time for a landmark sale with the company in such a strong position, valued by gaming consultancy Eilers & Krejcik Gaming (EKG) at around £9b ($12b), based on industry standards and last year’s pre-tax profit of £627m, on revenues of £3.7bn.
For Bet365, there is scope for expansion in its casino offerings, and particularly in its overall US operation, where it has entered the market since the federal ban on sports betting was lifted in 2018.
If consideration of a sale turns to serious business, there will be plenty of interested suitors ready to assist the Coates to cash out.
Image credit: Grok/X
